


Light of The Dragon's Eye

by queeny407



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Battle, F/M, Original Character(s), Romance, Royalty, Summer, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2019-11-28 05:11:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 41,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18203981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queeny407/pseuds/queeny407
Summary: Meet Akira. Most powerful warrior in all of Hikari, known as the Tiger Lily of Hinode Castle, and personal bodyguard to Prince Kai.She really hates that last part.Akira is a living mystery. She comes from nowhere, with no destination, no family, and plenty of attitude to spare. But no one understands her. She just lives in her own little world, in her own little bubble.But her peace doesn't last. It never does.I only own the story and the characters. The pictures are not mine, nor are the characters from Yona of the Dawn.





	1. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE:
> 
> This story is primarily updated on Wattpad, on my account queeny407. There it has forty chapters, and counting. Fair warning, I started this story when I was twelve, so the writing for the first half of it is not as good as the second half. But please stick around!

"AND THE WINNER IS PRINCE KAI ONCE AGAIN!!"  
Kai stared down at his opponent. A large, middle aged general from East Hikari had fallen to this 14 year old boy. The tenth victim of the young prince.

Kai reached out a hand to help the man up, but the latter brushed it off and stomped away, grumbling. Kai scoffed. This competition was getting boring. Hikari's greatest warriors, young and old, had shown up. Many had burned through their opponents, until they met the first prince of the kingdom. Was there no one who could give him an exciting fight?

"Kai!" a voice called from next to the platform. Ah. Great. It's Kasumi. The young girl was dressed in a flashy pink and white kimono with overdone makeup and an elaborate hairpiece. Kai sighed and leapt down from the platform, desperate for the inevitable conversation to end quickly.

"Oh my gosh, that was AMAZING! You're so strong, Kai!" Kasumi squealed and clapped. "Arigato, Lady Kasumi." (A/N Arigato means thank you in Japanese, that is the language used in this book) The 12 year old girl giggled and twirled her hair shyly. "You don't have to call me that! Just call me Kasumi like you always do!" The prince held back a sigh of exasperation. "I wish to show respect to my father's most trusted general's daughter. Besides, we aren't kids anymore. I can't be so casual." Kai suddenly realized that Kasumi was a bit more occupied with his arms than what he was saying. That's it. I'm out, not dealing with this anymore!

"I'm sorry, my lady, but I must see my father. Goodbye." Just as he turned to leave, Kasumi grabbed his shoulder. "Ah-! Wait-!" Kai turned to her, and she looked down, her face flushed. "Uh, I was wondering if, you might join me at the Imperial garden later? Please?" The prince ran a hand through his hair. Ugh, when she puts on the puppy eyes, refusing seems heartless. "Alright. I will see you then." Kasumi looked up, surprised, but then a smile spread across her face. "Thank you! Say hello to the king for me!"

Kai sped to the king's throne, where the latter sat to watch the competition. "Father, I am getting bored. Can we please end this and go home?" King Masaki looked down at his son, both in pride and frustration. He had won every round, but he was still so unenthusiastic! "Fine." The king conceded. "We will have one last call for opponents, and if no one shows, we leave." Masaki snapped his fingers to summon the announcer. After whispering a few things in his ear, the announcer turned to the large crowd and shouted, "IS THERE NO ONE LEFT BRAVE ENOUGH TO BATTLE THE PRINCE KAI?!!?!?!"

The crowd went silent. But it didn't stay that way.

"I will." A single, solitary voice rang out across the crowd. All heads turned to see a young girl standing in the fray. She wore a cloak and a hood that covered her eyes, and she held a large spear in one hand.

Everyone parted to create a path as the girl walked slowly towards the platform. She shouldered her spear and smiled sweetly at those surrounding her. That smile was like poisoned honey.

As she stepped up onto the platform, Kai observed her, intrigued. No woman had ever challenged him before. He knew enough never to underestimate a female, especially this one. She carried that large blade with ease, she was the same height as him, and she radiated mystery.

The referee asked her, "What is your name, girl?" A mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "Akira."


	2. All in Good Fun

I woke up to see Eclipse land squarely on one of the sakura branches outside my window. She lets out a loud screech of greeting. "Jeez, can't you come home more quietly, Eclipse?" My pet hawk nips my finger lightly, as if telling me to get out of bed. "Why? Is there something important today?" Eclipse lets out a slightly disgruntled low call. "Ah. Right, it's lady Kasumi's 16th birthday, isn't it?" My hawk bobs her head in confirmation. I groan and stumble out of bed. If I had to pick the one day of the year I hated most, it would be this one. An entire day of listening to that girl's pitiful attempts at flirting with Prince Kai, and having to sit through all the insults she throws at me. She's such a happy-go-lucky, sparkly teenager, with absolutely no sense of danger. Having that would be helpful for her, since she's at the top of my hate list.

I slip into my usual outfit-a purple tunic, black pants, black cloth wrist guards, a black belt with my dagger, and a black hooded cloak trimmed with gold that goes down to my hips. I attach the chain at my neck, pull on my boots, and grab my spear. I leave my hood down, and chew on a cinnamon leaf so that my breath doesn't smell like total crap before I leave.

My silver eyes rake across the open hallway, to the courtyard beyond. A light breeze ruffles my waist length, jet black hair. I decide to escape to the stables and spend the day with the horses. It's better than having to listen to Kasumi. Akira, you're so sloppy! Akira, you eat too much! Akira, if you so much as look at Prince Kai I will cut your heart out!

I walk along the hallways, ignoring the flirtatious looks and comments the guards make. Right now, I just want to have a quiet, peaceful-

"AKIRA!!"

I whirl around to see a young woman storming towards me. "Hello, Lady Kasumi. I did not expect you to arrive so early." I bow respectfully before she can start ranting about my "horrid" manners. I'm determined not to let her get to me today.

My plan seems to work, as she looks slightly disappointed that she has no reason to insult me. "Have you seen Kai anywhere? I want to speak with him." While saying his name, Kasumi blushes. Wow. This is a bit sad.

I'm about to tell her that I have not seen the prince, but an evil thought pops into my head. "If I had to guess, I would say the prince is preparing the birthday surprise he planned for you - oh, I shouldn't have said that." Kasumi's head immediately snaps up and throws me a look. "What? He's planning a surprise for me? What is it?!" I look around, as if confirming no one is listening, and drop my voice to a whisper. "His Royal Highness wanted to take you for horseback riding in the yard near the stables. But you didn't hear it from me."

Kasumi gasps and flushes with excitement. Unable to help myself, I add, "He planned to hold you really tight."

That does the trick. Kasumi looks like a human firework, ready to explode with anticipation. "OhmigoshohmigoshohmiGOSH!!! Do you think he's up now? Would he be mad if I knew about the surprise?" I grin. "I sincerely doubt it, my lady. Why don't you go to his room and go horseback riding right now?"

Without another thought, Kasumi races off towards Prince Kai's room. I grin evilly. Time for phase two of operation "Make Kai live through Hell"

I run to a specific room in the palace and knock on the door. It opens to reveal a 16 year old blonde boy, and I whisper excitedly. "Your older brother is about to be part of a MASSIVE chariot wreck. You have to come see!" Prince Ichiro smirks. "What did you do now, Aki?" I smile slyly.

"You'll see."


	3. Birthday Girl

KAI'S POV  
_____________________________  
I'm just finishing getting ready for the day when I hear a rapid knocking at my door. I open it to see...

"Kai!!"

...Kasumi.

Oh, it's her sixteenth birthday, isn't it. I give a respectful bow. "Kon'nichiwa (hello) Lady Kasumi. A very happy birthday to you." A large smile spreads across her flushed face. "Arigato! And arigato in advance for your gift!" At this, my face pales. "Gift? What do you mean by gift?" Kasumi giggles. "Oh, you don't have to pretend, Akira already told me everything!"

Did she say Akira told her everything?! I can already tell that I'm in trouble.

"Really?" I ask through gritted teeth. "And, uh, WHAT exactly did she tell you?" Kasumi blushes as she looks down at the floor. "She said that you were going to take me horseback riding. And," her voice lowers to a whisper. "that you were going to hold me extra tight."

What.

The.

STUPID HECK?!!

Does Akira want to have her head sliced off? Because I'd be more than happy to oblige.

I internally groan. Having to humor Kasumi on her birthday is never fun, but now it is going to be unbearable. Why does this happen to me? Did I do something so horrible in my previous life to earn such a cruel punishment in this life?

Before I can react, Kasumi grabs my hand and starts dragging me to the yard. "Come on! I want to go horseback riding now!" What the-? How is this girl even competing with my strength?! I'm the second most powerful warrior in this entire dang country! But, of course, I have to be second to someone. And that someone is Akira. Also known as a piece of #%%&*$!!

Once we reach the courtyard, I march into the stables. I grab a light brown horse named Cedar and bring him outside, where Kasumi is waiting. Barely able to conceal an exasperated eye roll, I hold out my hand to her. She takes my hand eagerly and I hoist her up to sit in front of me with ease. I guide Cedar at a steady walk around the grounds, although I'm VERY tempted to see if Kasumi would fly off the horse if I make him go at a full-speed run. 

"So, um, your father said that I could have a birthday feast at the castle today. Y-you will come right?"I guess I can't refuse. I don't have a feasible excuse. "Of course, Lady Kasumi, I wouldn't miss it for anything." Other than a chance to beat Akira up for getting me in this mess. 

Kasumi's features glow with excitement. "Thank you! You see, I think that the theme should be..." I barely listen to her boring talk about the feast. I can't wait to leave. My father insists that I get married to this girl. Nothing would make him happier, he says, than the union of his eldest son and best friend's daughter. Don't get me wrong, I love my father, but what he asks for would never work. Kasumi isn't the right girl. She's too self-centered, too trusting, and she doesn't share any of my interests. She would never be able to offer any valuable input as queen. Heck, she might even try to make the soldiers all wear bright pink in order for them to "look pretty."

I catch a sudden whiff of cinnamon that jolts me from my thoughts, and before I know it, a voice murmurs almost directly in my ear. "Having fun, Your Highness?"

I look to my left and almost smack Akira with my forehead. She's riding on her own black horse, Raijū (A/N Raijū means "Lightning Beast") She wears her usual sly smile and cinnamon scent, and she looks as though she can barely keep from laughing. Kasumi doesn't notice as she continues talking. I almost growl at the girl next to me. "Why are you here? Come to watch me suffer?" She grins. "Oh, it's not just me. Ichiro's here too." WHAT?! My younger brother sided with my archenemy?! Whatever happened to family first?! I look over Akira's shoulder, and my brother is indeed standing a little ways away, watching our conversation with a wide grin. "HEY!! AKIRA!! WHY ARE YOU RUINING MY ALONE TIME WITH PRINCE KAI??!!?!!?!"

...Ouch. Who knew Kasumi could yell like that?

Akira straightens up immediately with an apologetic look on her face. "Forgive me, my lady." Kasumi glares at her, not bothering to hide her rage. "We were in the middle of talking about my birthday feast! Which you will NOT be invited to, by the way!" Akira looks slightly surprised. "Why am I not invited, my lady? Was it something I said?" Kasumi wears a devilish smile. "No. But you have no fashion sense at all! Why would I want someone who looked as hideous as you to show up at a celebration in my honor? It simply wouldn't look good!" Yikes, harsh.

Akira says nothing, her expression blank. She rides off on Raijū, and then disappears. For some reason, I feel slightly sorry for her. Kasumi has always acted as though Akira was nothing but an ant that was meant to be stepped on. No one should be treated like that. "Lady Kasumi, don't you think that was a bit severe?" She looks as though she could spit. "No. I don't.

"A servant like her deserves no respect."


	4. The Best Offense Is a Good Defense

AKIRA'S POV

WHACK

I sigh as the young guard's sword goes flying once more.

After being verbally abused by Kasumi, and having to watch as Kai said nothing, I decided to burn off my anger by training some of the newer guards in Hinode Castle. Sadly, I have a lot of work to do.

"No, no. You aren't applying good defense. If you defend correctly, an opening will come in for you to attack." The guard looks at me slightly confused, so I grab another guard from the side and push him in front of my "student." I take their swords and hand them wooden bo staffs. "Why are we using staffs now? When I was battling you, we both used real blades." I shoulder my spear and smirk slightly. "First, I'm skilled enough to know when to hold back. Also, it wasn't necessary to take away your sword because I seriously doubt that you could even cut me if we were in a serious fight." The guard flushes in embarrassment and looks away.

Among the small crowd of guards at the edge of the battleground, I hear an indignant whisper. "How degrading to be bossed around by a woman."

I slowly turn towards the group, my eyes flashing and my lips forming a sickly sweet smile. "Who said that?" I ask, venom dripping from my every word. The guards all part to reveal a sour faced young man. I step towards him angrily. "Hold out your arm." He looks nervous, but he sticks his left arm out. In a second his face is pressed into the ground by my hand,my other one twisting up his arm and my knee digging into his back. "Would you like to repeat what you just said?" I inquire in a sugary voice. He gasps in pain, his free arm repeatedly slamming the ground. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that!" I smirk. "Yield?" The guard yells out. "Yield! Yield!"

Satisfied, I let the idiot up. He rubs his arm and quickly runs back into the group to hide. "Anyone else have something to say?" Everyone in the crowd quickly shakes their heads, looks of both fear and admiration present on their faces.

"Aki! Hey, AKI!'

I turn around to see Prince Ichiro running towards me. All of the guards kneel in respect, but I simply give a standing bow. "Your Highness, is something the matter?" He grabs his knees, gasping for breath, before he looks up. A look of urgency in his eyes.

I give directions to the guards. "Go ask Commander Maya to oversee your training. Tell him I sent you." Nodding, they all grab their weapons and head off. I turn back to Ichiro. "Did something happen?" He nods, clearly worried. "You see, it's Kasumi." I raise my eyebrows. "Did something happen to her?" As much as I hate Kasumi, it's my job to protect the higher-ups of the country when they visit. If she was injured or killed, it would reflect badly on my reputation.

Ichiro shakes his head. "Nothing happened but... her birthday celebration is going on, and you really need to come!" I can barely suppress an eye roll. "Uh huh, I heard. I'm also not invited, so why would I come?" The second prince doesn't bother to keep the look of disgust off his face. "It's just...she's all over Kai! It's sickening! She keeps following him around like a clingy, lovesick puppy, spewing compliments and trying to get some in return." His voice changes to a high pitch. "Oh, Kai, you're so strong! Kai, what do you think of my lipstick? Kai, could you help me put on this necklace?" Ichiro shakes his head. "It is just so desperate and hard to watch! You've gotta come help! Kai asks for help too," he added, as though that would make me suddenly want to go and help. Instead, a dark look passes over my face. "No way. First off, Kasumi would probably have me executed if I walked into her celebration. Second, Prince Kai didn't even say a word when Lady Kasumi insulted me earlier, so why should I do anything for him?" Ichiro raises his eyebrows. I sigh. "Anyway, what would I even do? Go put on a dress and try to one-up Lady Kasumi on her own birthday?" The young prince grins. "Actually, that might-" "NO. There is no way you will be able to get me to wear a dress. That time when I first arrived was bad enough."

Ichiro sighs, clearly starting to get annoyed with me. "Well, the nobles and guests are getting bored at the celebration. Any chance you could do something about that?" As soon as he catches sight of my expression, he backs away. I have a dark aura surrounding me, my eyes are hidden by my hair, and I'm laughing evilly. "Oh, I have the perfect idea for that." I whisper my plan into his ears, and Ichiro immediately breaks into a large grin.

"THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!!! I'LL TELL EVERYONE!!" He runs off and I smirk to myself. "This'll be fun."

KAI'S POV  
—----------------------------------------------------  
I duck behind one of the food covered tables as Kasumi passes, calling my name. "Kaaaiiii!!! Where'd you go?!?!"

Please don't look behind the table, please don't look behind the table...

"There you are!"

...Aaaaaaand she looked behind the table. My luck never holds.

Kasumi, surprisingly sat down next to me, looking over her shoulder as though to make sure no one noticed her. "Actually, I'm kind of glad no one can see us right now." I tilt my head in confusion. Her face is dusted a light pink. "I have...something I want to tell you."

Oh no. Here it comes. I can tell by the set of her jaw and the look in her eyes that she is confessing. This is terrifying. I don't love Kasumi, but telling her that is extremely hard. It always is, no matter the person. Several girls have said that they liked me, and I found it hard to reject them. It just felt really cruel. And with Kasumi, it'll be even worse. She's liked me since I was 8 and she was 6, which means a crush that's gone on for a decade! I can't do this!

Kasumi takes a deep breath. "Kai... for the longest time, I've-"

SLAM!!

The celebration hall's doors burst open to reveal an excited looking Ichiro. Phew! Saved by the 16 year old!

"Lady Akira of Hinode Palace wishes to challenge anyone who believes that they are worthy enough to be in Lady Kasumi's presence!"

At these words, almost the entire hall erupts in shouts of challenge. Everyone wants to fight, some for glory and fame for beating the strongest warrior in all of Hikari, some for the hidden jibe about them all being too low to be at Kasumi's birthday party. I also want to see how Akira fares, and how many are stupid enough to go challenge her. "Kasumi, are you coming to watch the matches with me?" The birthday girl looks down, but then she forces a smile on her face and nods. "Y-yeah! Let's go..." 

I look at her downcast face and immediately feel guilty. I feel so selfish and insensitive, but I can't get her hopes up. The farther she is from me, the better.

I walk out of the hall along with Kasumi and all the other guests, careful to look straight ahead.


	5. Battle of the Mind

AKIRA'S POV

I duck as the blade of a double edged sword cuts through the air above me. Swinging my leg out, my ankle connects with my opponent's leg and they go crashing to the ground. I jump up into a standing position and I knock the sword out of my opponent's hands. It skitters to the edge of the field, and I swing my Hsu Quandao at the neck of the opposition.

Swoosh

It stops just before it touches the skin. The opponent huffs in anger and stalks off the field.

Right now, I'm battling the nobles that attended Kasumi's celebration. I've just beaten the leader of the Hyō Clan to the east, Yan Ryo. I wipe away the sweat that's beaded on my forehead, and Ichiro hands me a canteen of water. Battling 10 of the toughest warriors in Hikari in a row really takes it out of you.

After seeing the leader of the Taka Clan , leader of the Ōkami Clan, and leader of the Fukurō Clan all defeated, not too many people stepped up. The direct underlings, the next generation of generals, all tried as well, but failed. Now no one is volunteering, but I want one more battle. One more, that is invigorating and challenging.

A voice speaks up. "I will fight next against Lady Akira."

I turn my head and see Prince Kai walking onto the field, with one twin sword in each hand. Oh ho? It's been a while since I fought him. Should be interesting.

Murmurs pass through the crowd, and I catch the glint of coins being taken out. People are betting on who will win. In previous matches, this was also done, but not as much as now. Almost half the people believe that Kai will win. That's no good. I have a reputation to uphold. The fierce Tiger Lily of Hinode, the Winter Assassin, the most powerful warrior in all of Hikari.

Kai and I each bow to each other, and he smirks. "Lady Akira," he mutters. "Known for her cold beauty and vicious fighting technique." I raise my eyebrows. "Oh? You consider me beautiful, Prince Kaito? I'm flattered, but don't expect me to go easy on you." Kai grins evilly. "If I win, you have to call me Kaito-sama for the next year." I nod. "Deal. If I win, you have to call me Oniyuri-sama." He sighs, but nods.

He didn't deny that he thinks you're beautiful...

"Akira, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met, and I'll never leave you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

My heart thumps as an old memory resurfaces, and I cringe in pain. No. Not him. Don't remember him. He's gone. He's gone and he won't come back. I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and the match begins.

Kai and I circle each other, my Quandao held in front of me, his twin swords in attack position. He lunges with the sword in his right hand and I block it with my blade, angling it so that it reflects back at his face. Kai deflects it with his left sword, but this leaves his side open. I swing at him, but he blocks the blade in a cross of his swords. He pushes off my attack and I flip backwards to regain balance.

But I almost lose that balance when I catch a glimpse of Kai's expression.

His face is completely blank, his eyes dull, but that doesn't last long. His features twist into rage, and he looks almost...bloodthirsty.

My eyes widen. What's happening?

Suddenly, with a startling war cry, Kai rushes with both of his swords raised. I raise my Quandao to block his attack, but just before he reaches me, his swords swing down at my side. I just barely manage to block his attack, the shaft of my spear and the blades of his swords clashing, ringing out.

This isn't his normal fighting style. He was never that quick at changing the direction of attack before!

Kai pulls back and stabs at my stomach. I bend backwards like a bridge as the sword passes above me. These competitions aren't meant to wound, they are meant to disarm. Meanwhile, here's Kai trying to gut me like a fish!

That person has all of Kai's strength and knowledge, but he isn't the same person.

I jump back up and I make a decision. If he's going to fight at full strength, so am I.

I dash past him and raise the end of spear above his head and bring it down with full power. His hand comes up and grabs the butt of my spear. The force I brought it down with should've broken his hand, but instead, he turns around slowly, his eyes filled with a manic anger.

KAI'S POV

Note: This takes place just a bit before Kai starts acting strange.

I cross my swords to fend off Akira's attack, and she flips backwards.

THUMP

My head starts throbbing suddenly, and an unfamiliar voice speaks in the back of my mind. There they are. Right there. This is the perfect time.

Who..?

I'm suddenly thrown into darkness. I look down, and I can see myself, but it's as if I'm floating in a black bubble. The voice speaks again. You've done well. Now just leave this to me.

I start shouting. WHO ARE YOU?!! WHERE AM I???!!!?!

I slam my fist against the wall of black, but it does nothing. Repeatedly, I throw my shoulder against the wall, but I'm unsuccessful at escaping this strange place. I don't stop trying though, and continue to yell. LET ME OUT!!! LET ME GO!!!

Strangely, I can't see, but I can hear. There are screams and shouts coming from all directions. I can vaguely discern some phrases.

Prince Kai! What are you doing?!

Lady Akira, you must stop this!!

You are going to kill each other!!!

Among the cacophony are two familiar voices.

Ichiro?

Akira, stop!! If you go on, you are going to kill yourself!!!

N-no!!! *COUGH COUGH* I-I won't let him beat me in this way!

Akira? What are you doing?

What am I doing to you?

I can't stand this anymore. I keep slamming into the darkness, pounding against the black, trying to reach my brother and friend. AKIRA!!! ICHIRO!!!!

Finally, the darkness shatters, and my eyes open.

Just in time to see my sword slice across Akira's back.

AKIRA'S POV

The first thing I register is shock.

And I think that I'm dead.

Then the pain comes and brings me back into reality.

I can't see, the pain is too intense.

It hurts...so much.

Finally, my vision and head clear a little, and I can see that I'm falling. Luckily, Ichiro catches me and rests my head against his chest. He's sitting on the field, and I'm collapsed against him. "Ichiro... *Cough*" A dribble of blood goes down my chin, and the young prince gently wipes it away. "Ssshhh, don't strain yourself," he murmurs comfortingly. "I-it hurts..." Ichiro holds me close. "I know, I know, but you'll be fine. The pain will stop soon." Voices and shouts all bounce around me, but I can't make anything out.

"Akira..." I try to turn my head to see who's speaking, and Ichiro gently adjusts my position so that I can see. Kai has fallen down on all fours, a look of shock and confusion in his eyes. "What did I do...? What happened to me...?" He reaches out to touch my face, but I can't help but flinch away.

The crowd of people around me blurs, and the last thing I see is a pair of sorrowful green eyes before the darkness consumes me.

ICHIRO'S POV

Akira's head collapses against my chest as she blacks out. "DOCTOR!! SOMEONE!!! GET OVER HERE NOW!!!!" There are others shouting, but I can only stare at the ugly slash across her back, at the blood that stains her snowy white skin...

No. No no please don't take her away, please...

A band of royal doctors hurry over and gently place Akira on a stretcher. They carry her away into the palace, and one of them turns to me. "Prince Ichiro, you should go and change. Her blood..." I look down at my robes, which were once pure white, and have now turned a deep red, and smell of iron. The doctor looks over at Kai, who's still on all fours, his face angled to the ground. "Shall I leave him to you, Your Highness?" I nod slowly, and the doctor leaves. All of the guests turn and leave, some muttering condolences as they exit. Soon, it is just me, Kai, and Kasumi, who stands still at the edge of the field, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide & disbelieving.

I crawl over to Kai, who is now holding his head in his hands. "What have I done...Brother, what happened to her? To ME?" I shake my head sadly. "I don't know, big brother. I don't know."


	6. The Threat of Death...and The Promise of It

KAI'S POV

\-------------------------------------------------------

I splash water onto my face. As it turns out, Akira's blood didn't just get on Ichiro's robes...

I stare at my reflection in the small pool of water. I look normal. But I don't feel normal.

...

What must I have looked like then?

Were my eyes insane? Was my mouth a snarl?

Did that person from before feel any remorse? Are they still inside my head, waiting to reveal themselves again?

Does Ichiro hate me? Does Akira hate me?

She must, she didn't even let me touch her.

"Prince Kaito!"

I turn around to see one of the doctors walking to me. "What is it?" I ask colorlessly. "Your Highness, Lady Akira is awake." This catches my attention. "How is she? What are her injuries?" The doctor patiently answers my question. "She has a few small cuts and bruises on her arms and legs, which should heal quickly. She must have bit her tongue or inside of her cheek, which resulted in a cut in her mouth." Ah, so that's why she was coughing blood. "As for her back..." The doctor hesitates at this, but I need to know. "Luckily, no vital organs were harmed. She's lost a lot of blood though, so she needs rest. A scar will result, but other than that, no permanent damage."

I don't feel relieved. I left a scar, I hurt her forever. I need to see her. "Take me to where she is, now." The doctor doesn't hesitate to do this, but I can see that he is wary of me.

***

I knock on the door to Akira's room. "Come in."

I open the door to see her lying on her stomach in bed, her head resting in her arms and a blanket covering her. She stares at me for a second, then a small smile crossed her face. "Were you worried about me? That's really cute." I don't laugh. Instead, I slowly approach her and ask, "...Are you mad?" She doesn't hesitate to answer. "Of course I'm mad. They're making me lie down on my stomach! ON MY STOMACH! Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that is?"

My fists clench, and my hair covers my eyes. "...Don't do that." Akira raises an eyebrow. "Do what?" I glare at her, furious. "THAT! Don't do that! Stop ignoring this! I hurt you! I sliced you with my sword! You're weak right now because of me!" She merely stares at me, unblinking. I start to lose it. "Don't just lie there! Shout, scream, SAY SOMETHING!!!!"

(A/N Apologies, the previous line was taken from How to Train Your Dragon 2, I'll be sure to change it soon)

I'm yelling now, unable to stop myself. Why isn't she mad at me? Why won't she do anything?

"Kai."

My head snaps up. Akira isn't smiling anymore, she looks solemn instead. "Did you hurt me?" I blink, and then answer. "Of course I-" "I'm asking if you were the one who had the intention of hurting me," she interrupts. "I don't want you to say, "I was the one who injured you," I want you to tell me whether you intended to hurt me or not." I stare at her, and then slowly answer. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Akira smiles softly. "Then I have no reason to shout, or to be angry with you." I search her silvery eyes for any hint that she's lying, but I find none.

...She doesn't hate me?

Akira continues. "Can you hand me that water on the table?" I look next to the bed to see a bamboo cup filled with water and hand it to her. "Thanks." She slowly sits up, and the blanket falls away, revealing that her upper body is wrapped in only bandages.

My face immediately reddens, and I stutter out, "W-well, I-I think I'll go tell Ichiro that you're awake!" Without even waiting for a reply, I dash out of the room. I'm all the way on the other side of the palace before I stop running.

I double over, breathing heavily, my face still red. "Nii-san? (Big brother) Why does your face look like a tomato?" I look up to see Ichiro wearing light green robes and an inquisitive look on his face. "Well, Akira's awake, and I went to go visit her." He raises his eyebrows. "Did you do something?" I shake my head quickly. "I didn't do anything, but she asked for water. So I gave it to her, and she sat up, and the blanket fell, and..." Ichiro's blue eyes widen. "Ehhh?! Are you saying that you were checking her out when she was na-" "NO!!! I just felt embarrassed that she was only wearing bandages on her upper body and ran away!!"

Ichiro laughs lightly. "Okay. Well, I'll go visit later. I was actually trying to find you. Father wants to see us." I raise my eyebrows. "Oh? Well, let's go then."

ICHIRO'S POV

We arrive at Father's room, and a servant opens the doors. Father is lying on his bed, looking unhealthy and tired. My brows furrow. He's still so ill. Why? He was a healthy man, and he isn't particularly old either. But a year ago, this happened. And now he can barely move.

Kai and I kneel next to his bed. "Kaito... Ichiro..." he whispers hoarsely, giving a weak smile. Kai wipes away the sweat beading on our father's forehead gently. "What is it, Father? Do you need something?" I ask. "A book to read, tea..." "A pretty lady-in-waiting?" Kai suggests jokingly. Father starts to laugh, but it quickly turns into a cough. Kai and I exchange worried looks. He's gotten worse. We don't even know what this sickness is.

Father recovers from his coughing fit and looks at us lovingly. "As nice as that would be, Kai, I have something important to discuss. I...I fear I won't be here for much longer." I flinch, and rest my hand over his. "Don't say that Father. You'll get better, the doctors..." "Ichiro," he interrupts gently. "I need you to make sure your brother never loses sight of what's important when he's a ruler. You know how clouded his judgement might get." I laugh weakly, tears threatening to spill over. Kai throws his arm around my shoulders. "Looks like I'm in your care now, little bro." Although he's smiling, I can see the sorrow in his eyes.

Father turns to Kai. "Kai... did I ever tell you who your mother was before I married her?" My brother looks confused for a second. "Um, no, I don't believe so." Father lightly smiles. "She was a palace cook. I married her even though my own father disapproved, even though he wanted me to marry another woman. But I loved her, and I was happy with her, and I was even more happy when you two came along." Kai and I smile at our father, and his story of our mother's humble beginnings. "However," he continues. "I realized that I was doing the same thing to you that my father did to me." Kai raises his eyebrows. "What are you saying?" Our father takes a deep breath. "Kaito, son, forget everything I've ever said about who I wanted you to marry. If you love Kasumi, marry her. If you love someone else, marry them. Forget what I say, what the advisors say, and what the kingdom says, and live your life with the woman you love."

My brother looks ready to cry, and my father already has tears spilling down his face, but he continues. "Love her, marry her, grow old with her. And give me some wonderful grandchildren." Kai nods, tears forming in his eyes. Father sighs in relief, and closes his eyes. "Thank you. I can die peacefully now. Kaito...Ichiro..."

The two princes of Hikari collapse in grief as their father, the once powerful King Masaki, breathes his last.


	7. A Bit of Not-So-Light Reading

AKIRA'S POV

Dear Nii-san,

How are you? How are the others? I'm sorry, I forgot their names, but then again, I doubt it matters. How is the situation in Kohka Kingdom? Anything important happen? Something important happened here.

His Majesty King Masaki has passed away due to the unknown illness he has suffered from in the past year. I would prefer that you didn't disclose this information to anyone. I don't want the princes to catch wind of the fact that I have an older brother. You know how they are.

And before you ask, NO, no one at the palace has made any moves on me of the late, so there's no reason for you to come and kick anyone's butt. What about you? Have you confessed your feelings to HER yet? Don't deny it, I know you have them, and it would be stupid to wait for too long.

Moving past that, I have some news. Prince Kaito recently beat me in a battle. But something was wrong with him. He was acting violet and infuriated, as if I was his mortal enemy. His eyes were crazed, but just before that, his expression was blank and his eyes were dull. Do you know anything about this? Is there some sort of disease or mental illness that can cause a normally rational person to act like this? Even a drug or alcohol?

If you find anything out, let me know. Say hello to the others for me, and try not to make the sketch you send this time TOO horrible, or I'll start thinking that my big brother is some weird monstrous THING. I love you.

Love,

Akira

Beneath my letter, I make a small drawing of myself and roll up the paper into a scroll. My older brother and I agreed that we would always do this when we send letters, so that we don't forget what the other looks like. While I'm good at it, his attempts are average at best.

Tying the scroll with a ribbon and tying this around Eclipse's leg, I send her off. "You know where to go," I say to her before she leaves. "SCRREEEECH!" She nips my finger affectionately and flies off. She should come back in at the most a day, she's very good at flying long distance.

I'm sitting in the palace library a few hours after the king's death. I never knew him too well, but the few times I did speak with him, he was very caring. Like the father I never had.

I had finally managed to convince the medical staff to let me out of bed. They kept telling me that overexertion would make my wound worse, but it's not like I'm going off to take over a country or anything. Just reading.

After writing the letter, I pull a book from the shelves that line the walls. The myth of the Natsu no ryū. The myth of the Summer Dragon? Never read this one, might as well try it. I sit down at a table and open the worn old book.

A long time ago, when humans had yet to walk this Earth, there was only chaos. Darkness and disorder ruled the land, with no warmth or light to be seen. For thousands of years, all creatures lived in fear and gloom.

But one faithful day, or at least what could be called as a day in that world, a miracle appeared. The hopes of the creatures for the darkness to go away, for the cold to subside, for death to stop ruling, all solidified into the Natsu no ryū, the Summer Dragon.

The Summer Dragon was bathed in golden light, with shimmering gold scales. He chased away the dark and cold, but it didn't stay away from the world forever. It manifested itself into the Winter Dragon. The Winter Dragon was cold and unfriendly, and it thrived in the darkness. It and the Summer Dragon both lived on Earth as humans, the Summer dragon as a handsome man, the Winter Dragon a woman of unparalleled beauty. They adopted the names Nikkō and Yuki respectively. Nikkō had control over light, warmth, and day. Yuki had control over dark, cold, and night.

Nikkō opened Yuki's eyes to the light and goodness in the world, and they spent many days together. With each day they spent, a little bit of Yuki's bitterness would melt away and a new star would appear in the night sky, little bits of light in the dark. Eventually, they both fell in love and were married. When this happened, the sun and moon were created. Together, Nikkō and Yuki made Yin and Yang.

This light mixing with dark created two new creatures - Aki no hōō, the Autmun Phoenix, and Haru no gurifin, the Spring Griffin. These two came down to Earth as well. They followed Nikkō as loyal servants, and for a while, the world was happy.

Unfortunately, peace did not last. Both the Autumn Phoenix and Spring Griffin fell in love with Yuki as well. Try as she might, she couldn't get rid of both of them. So one day, she asked them both to meet her under the sakura tree on the hill, so that she could make it clear that she would stay with Nikkō. But when they arrived, and when she was speaking to them, Nikkō saw them, and his heart burned with rage.

He turned back into a dragon, intent on destroying Yuki, whom he thought would betray him. Yuki turned into a dragon as well, to defend herself. The two lovers clashed, and the Earth shook. Try as they might, the Phoenix and the Griffin couldn't make them stop fighting. Blind with anger, the Summer Dragon cursed the Winter Dragon, saying that she would never be able to escape the hurt that he himself felt.

The Winter Dragon fled to the far reaches of the world, where she wasted away on the mountaintops, until she was no more. The Phoenix and the Griffin felt so ashamed of the misunderstanding they had created, that they vowed to support the Summer Dragon no matter what he thought of them. As for the Summer Dragon, he died, still believing that his true love had betrayed him in the end.

Whoa. That was not a good ending. Man, this is why I stick by my motto - If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. Sure, I protect Kai & Ichiro, but if one of them died, then I would move on. I have no one I love but my brother, and since I never see him, we aren't that close.

I shut the book and return to my room, tired from my injury. I flop on the bed, and sleep comes to me quickly.


	8. Betraying Wounds

AKIRA'S POV

Monster!

You are a curse on our family!

JUST GO AND DIE!!

...

Why is this happening to me? What did I do?

I keep reaching out to find a hand to pull me out of this darkness...

...but I can never find it.

YANK!!!

My eyes fly open as I feel a pair of hands pull me roughly from my bed. My first instinct is to grab my spear and fight back, but I feel extremely groggy and disoriented. But I don't know why.

I can make out two palace guards dragging me out of my room. "Wait...what are you-" "QUIET!" One of the guards kicks me hard in the stomach and I bite my cheek, tasting blood.

They drag me outside to the palace front, a little way before the gates. I'm forced face-first onto the ground, and my hands are pulled upwards behind me, tightly bound by ropes. "Guh..." I spit blood and my vision starts to clear a little, but I can't move very well. Otherwise, I would tear these ropes in half and slice off these two guards' heads.

I can see someone walking towards me. I lift my head up slightly to see a tall man in robes walking towards me. Is that...General Akihiro?

General Suzuki Akihiro, known for his bravery in the war with the lands of Seng to the west. The late emperor's best friend and most trusted adviser. Also Kasumi's father.

He sits down in front of me and grabs my hair, yanking my head up. He smirks as he looks at me. "Hello, little tiger." I can't quite comprehend what's happening. "General...Akihiro...what..." He laughs at my helplessness, and anger starts to bubble up inside me, clearing my mind and allowing me to scowl.

I try to scream for help, but my throat is raw. Akihiro laughs. "Don't bother. The palace guards are on my side. The palace servants and guests are all drunk from the birthday celebration. You see, little tiger, Hikari is falling into disrepair, and I will be the one to place it at the top of the world once more." I blink at him. "So, typical "I want to rule the kingdom" plan, huh? Seems pretty boring." He ignores me and simply keeps talking.

"You must be curious of why you are here, yes?" I snarl at him, finally able to form full sentences. "Yeah, kind of, mind explaining why I'm out here, old man?" Akihiro smiles at me, and starts speaking. "I know that it is usually unwise for the so-called 'villain' to explain their plan to the hero, but I do not mind." I raise my eyebrows.

"You see, little tiger, I've had enough of standing on the sidelines, having to watch those two princes-" he spits out the word, as though it tastes like mud. "-be treated so well, as if they are the ones who have saved the kingdom from war, as though those brats are somehow special, as if it's a guarantee that they will lead Hikari to greatness, when they have never even been in battle. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Poisoning the king wasn't too difficult-" My eyes widen at this and I growl. "You...you murdered our king?! You killed your best friend, a man who trusted you, for the sake of power?!?!?!"

At this, Akihiro winces and for a moment, his composure is broken. But within seconds, he regains his cruel expression. "It needed to be done. One small death doesn't matter to me. It was necessary in order to brighten the kingdom's future." I'm almost yelling now. "'Brighten the kingdom's future' my BUTT! You just wanted ultimate power, so you killed the king, he was a father and you killed him! You're a sick, shameless-"

SMACK.

The burning sensation on my cheek refuses to fade. Akihiro's eyes are burning with anger. "Do not speak to me like that again, wench. You're lucky to be alive right now. The king wasn't the only person who was poisoned. That water you drank that was on that table? That's the reason that you're so disoriented right now. But it was not as potent as the one used on the king. Obviously, they have to be slow acting, I wouldn't want to draw any suspicion."

I turn to him and speak slowly, venom dripping from my every word. "What did killing the king accomplish for you? Kai will be the next king, if he dies, Ichiro will be the next king, if he dies, you will be suspected of murder. If you kill too many people, you will be executed." The disgusting excuse of a general sitting before me smirks once more. "You are right. I had originally wanted to frame Kai for murdering his own father, but that would take time. Today, I saw an opportunity."

He leans in slightly closer, as if sharing an exciting secret. "You see, a prince can be exiled for murder, so Kai would've been gone and out of the way. But you and Ichiro would still be there, and neither of you would believe that he would murder his own father." I spit at him. "So what are you going to do? Kill Ichiro? Kill me?" Akihiro laughs derisively, stands up, and walks slightly away. "Of course I'm not going to kill you. He is." He points to my right, where I can see Kai being pulled out of the palace. He's dragged in front of me, and I can see several small bruises on his face, as well as a blindfold.

Akihiro walks up to him and places a sword in Kai's hands.He then murmurs a few words in the prince's ear and the latter stiffens, all facial expression going. The guards rip off his blindfold and I can finally see Kai's eyes.

They are filled with rage and bloodlust.

Then he looks at me, and his anger is multiplied by ten. He steps towards me, eyes blazing, sword held high in his hands.

My eyes widen and I struggle against my bonds, but it's no use. I'm trapped, and soon to be dead. Kai raises his sword-

SHING!!

An arrow flies through the air, slicing Kai's hands and making him drop the sword. Not a second later, another arrow slices through the ropes. It lands inches in front of my head.

I don't miss a beat. My fist slams upwards into a guard's jaw, and I grab his sword from the scabbard. I slash at the second guard and his blood sprays across my face, into my hair.

Ugh, this poison hasn't worn off fully. My attacks are getting sloppy.

I turn to Kai, who still seems to be possessed by some strange spirit. He licks his own blood off his hands and glares at someone behind me. I turn and see a mop of unruly blond hair and two bright blue eyes. Ichiro. He's standing on a balcony in the palace, with his bow and arrows in hand.

I sense movement behind me and turn just in time to block Kai's attack. He continues to try and slice through my sword, but I hold my ground.

The general escapes into the palace.

"Kai, look at me." I say, determined to make him listen. "LOOK AT ME." He stares at me, but doesn't stop trying to kill me. I rack my brains in an attempt to find something to snap him out of it.

"...Remember when you were 15 years old, and you raced against Ichiro on horseback?" At this, the prince's eyes soften for a second. "Remember? You both raced around the courtyard until your horse bumped into his. You guys went toppling over, into the pond. You were both sick with colds for 2 days after." Kai's grip on the sword weakens. "Yeah...and Father came to visit us each day, and he told us how proud he was..." he mutters, then falls to the ground.

I kneel down in front of him. He looks up at me, and I can see that his eyes are back to normal. They're also wet. "I miss him...it hurts so much..." Tears drip down his face.

I don't know what to do at this point. More guards will probably be here in a second, we still need to get Ichiro and find Kasumi, and I'm no good with emotions.

How exactly do you comfort a crying prince who might try to kill you at any second?

At a loss, I awkwardly touch his arm. "He was a good man. And he had two great sons as well," I murmur. Kai looks up at me, and I wipe away his tears gently. Then I attempt to lighten the mood. "You're unaware of this, but right now a bunch of people are going to come and try to kill us. So, run first, awkward consolation later?"

The prince grins through his sadness. "Sounds good." We both stand up, and basically commit suicide with what we do next.

We run straight into the palace.

ICHIRO'S POV

I throw a dagger at the face of an approaching guard. He falls, I retrieve my weapon, and keep running.

*flashback to maybe half an hour ago or so*

"I heard what happened...I'm very sorry, Ichiro."

I sit up from my bed to hear Kasumi's voice at the door. Hours earlier, Father had passed away, and my brother and I had fainted from grief. After I woke, I didn't even bother getting up. I just stared at my ceiling, cried a few times, and wallowed in my sadness.

Now Kasumi is visiting. I can talk to her alright, so I open the door. She walks in, a solemn look on her face. She sits down on my bed, and I sit beside her. For a few minutes, we're silent, just staring straight ahead. Suddenly, Kasumi gently places her hand over mine. I glance at her, and she speaks softly. "Your hands are shaking."

I look away as tears start to spill over. "Ichiro, you can cry in front of me. I won't judge you, I won't say anything, I'll stay here and comfort you."

Inwardly, I'm slightly surprised. Kasumi was usually ignorant and bold, but at times, she could be sincere.

I cover my eyes. "I...I hate myself for not being able to help him. I barely even knew my mother, and he was always there when I cried, even if he had to leave his work undone. And...and now he's gone." Tears drip onto my hand, and Kasumi murmurs softly. "He's not gone. He's with you, he's watching over you still, up in the sky. He's in your heart and in your memories, and he won't leave, ever."

I wipe away my tears and take a deep breath. "Thank you, Kasumi," I mutter. "Thank you for your words." She turns and smiles, but suddenly, I think I hear someone yell, "QUIET!"

"Kasumi, follow me." I grab my bow and arrows, as well as my daggers, and head out the door, Kasumi following closely behind me.

As we walk through the corridors, I notice that there are no guards or servants walking around, and start to get even more suspicious. We approach a balcony that looks out over the front courtyard of the palace, and I can hear faint voices. I get down on the floor and crawl out onto the balcony, determined not to be seen. I motion for Kasumi to do the same.

"- you and Ichiro would still be there, and neither of you would believe that he would murder his own father." Is that... General Akihiro? What is he saying?

I turn to Kasumi and see that she too is surprised. Suddenly, I hear Akira speak. "So what are you going to do? Kill Ichiro? Kill me?"

Kill us? What's happening?

I chance a peek above the balcony railing, and what I see shocks me.

Akira's hands are tied in the air, held up by two guards, and she's on the ground, with Akihiro in front of her. He laughs lightly. "Of course I'm not going to kill you. He is." He points off to the right, and I see my brother being dragged in front of Akira, with a sword placed in his hands. The blindfold on him is ripped off, and he steps toward Akira, his sword above her head.

I barely even think. I jump up, draw an arrow, and shoot at my brother's hands. Immediately after, I cut the ropes binding Akira's hands cleanly in half with another arrow.

Akira beats the guards up in a few seconds, and as she turns around, I make brief eye contact with her.

I turn around and grab Kasumi's hand, racing back through the hallways. "We need to leave, now." She still appears to be in shock. "My father, what was he doing?" I don't answer. If I tell her, she might not be able to handle it.

*back to present time*

We weave through the corridors, and once we reach Akira's room, I dash inside. Shutting the doors, I start grabbing things from all around. Her cape, spear, and her belt with a knife. I hand the belt to Kasumi. "Here. You'll need a weapon." She looks unsure, but hesitantly fastens the belt around her waist.

Suddenly, the door opens and I instinctively throw a dagger at the entering people. Luckily, they manage to catch it in their hands.

Akira twirls the dagger in her hands. "I'll keep in mind that you broke into my room and tried to kill me when I entered." Kai stands next to her, looking slightly confused. "What are you two doing here?" I grimace. "We saw what happened. Based on my princely intuitive, I'd say we shouldn't stay at the palace for much longer." Akira nods. "Precisely." Her gaze falls upon Kasumi. "Why are you wearing my belt?"

I'm starting to get annoyed. "Uh, hello, trying to escape the palace here, we don't exactly have time for this!" The silver eyed beauty simply sighs and takes her belongings out of my hands. She puts on the cloak, her hood slightly covering her face, and opens a small dresser in the corner, pulling out a stormy gray colored full length cloak. She hands it to Kasumi. "Wear that. Put the hood up, and if you start complaining about the color I will slice you in half, no regrets." Kasumi scowls, but she still wears the cloak, tucking her hair inside the hood. Kai hands me a similar looking cloak, while he puts on one himself.

Akira then heads for the door. "Alright, let's go." "Wait." Kasumi says suddenly. We all turn to look at her. "Why do I have to come with you? What's even happening right now?" Akira loses patience. "To put it shortly princess, your father is a deranged murderer who wants to kill us and take over the kingdom. So, we're being nice and taking you with us." Kasumi starts to argue, but suddenly, we hear shouts from outside. This way! They must be here!

Akira groans. She runs over to the window and starts to climb out of it. "Aki, where are you going?" She rolls her eyes at me. "Outside. The sakura tree is the only way out without certain injury or death. So hurry up!" Kai follows her example, and I help Kasumi out onto one of the branches before following. We all climb down as quickly as possible, and land in the central courtyard. Akira murmurs to us. "We have to split up. Princess, you're with me. You two, go out the west side and circle around to the back. We'll meet you there from the east side." My brother and I nod and quickly disappear into the castle once more.

KASUMI'S POV

Once the two princes leave, Akira turns to me. I immediately ask, "Why do you call me princess?" She answers readily. "Because you act like one. And not in a good way. Can you run, or do you want me to carry you?" I stare at her to detect sarcasm, but I can find none. "I can run." She looks down at my dress doubtfully, but eventually gives in and takes my hand.

I'm not used to Akira being this kind. She doesn't drag me along or anything, but she makes sure that I'm following her at all times.

Several times we have to hide in corridors or empty rooms to escape the guards trying to find us. But just before we reach the outside, we're found by a group of ten guards.

"Ah hah! You've attempted to kidnap Lady Kasumi! Surrender now!" Akira smirks. "I don't think so boys." She turns to me. "Might wanna cover your eyes, princess." With that, she dashes forward, wielding her spear and slicing all of the guards the surrounded us in one go. I gasp as blood splatters the floor, a little even getting on my dress. "You-you killed them! How...why..." Akira sighs exasperatedly. "To survive. Unless I want to be killed myself, I have to kill others. You can't ever expect a world full of peace. That's only a dream." Suddenly, she winces and doubles over, her hand on her back. "Ahhh...my wound is holding me back. Come on, we have to hurry." She grabs my hand and starts to run, but I slip in a pool of blood and fall, my ankle twisting. "Ah!" I squeak in pain.

Akira turns and inspects my ankle. "It's sprained. You can't walk now. Ugh, what a pain." She turns around. "Quick, I have to carry you on my back now, and we can't waste time." Hesitantly, I climb onto her back, locking my arms around her neck. She holds her spear with one hand, supporting me with the other. She dashes out of the castle, towards the back, until she stops for rest behind a bush.

Sweat is beaded on her forehead, and I can see a bit of red bleeding through her tunic. Her wound reopened. Suddenly, I spot the two princes from afar. They see us and run over. Kai kneels down to our height. "Are you guys okay?" Akira nods. "Yeah...totally...great..." Suddenly, she falls over, but Kai catches her before she hits the ground. "Oh no, her wound is open. Baka."

Seeing Akira there, cradled in the arms of the man I love causes my heart to twinge. Does he...love her? Ichiro's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "We should leave, now. The forest surrounding the place leads to a mountain, we can head there." Kai nods. They both stand, and Kai pulls Akira onto his back, so that her injury isn't further hurt by his hands. Ichiro looks down at me. "Can you stand?" I shake my head tiredly. He just scoops me up bridal style and the brothers start walking towards the forest.

Waves of exhaustion hit me, and I fall asleep as we leave the palace.


	9. That's Family For You

In the kingdom of Kohka, seven travelers make camp in the woods, careful not to attract any unwanted attention. Suddenly, the bubbly blonde boy points up to the sky. "Zeno sees something in the air!" Everyone looks up to spy a dark brown hawk gliding steadily towards them. The red haired girl draws an arrow, but the tall, black haired man stops her.

"Wait, Hime-sama," he says, watching the hawk. It lands on his shoulder and lets out a small screech. Holding out its right foot, everyone can see that it has a letter attached to it. "What's with the bird, Hak?" the man with silver hair and a white claw asks. "It's my sister's hawk Eclipse, Shiro-hebi," Hak replies. The silver haired man grits his teeth in frustration. "Again with the nickname...don't call the sacred dragon a white snake!" Hak ignores him, whistling as he unfurls the scroll and feeds Eclipse a small morsel of meat.

"Thunder Beast, you never told us you had a sister!" the apricot color haired pretty boy exclaims angrily. "I'm sorry, Mother. Please don't deprive me of my food." The pretty boy smacks his head. "I'M NOT YOUR MOTHER!! I'M YUN!!! IF I WAS YOUR MOTHER, WHY WERE YOU BORN THIS UGLY?!?!?!?!" Rubbing his head, Hak reads the letter by moonlight.

Dear Nii-san,

How are you? How are the others? I'm sorry, I forgot their names, but then again, I doubt it matters. How is the situation in Kohka Kingdom? Anything important happen? Something important happened here.

His Majesty King Masaki has passed away due to the unknown illness he has suffered from in the past year. I would prefer that you didn't disclose this information to anyone. I don't want the princes to catch wind of the fact that I have an older brother. You know how they are.

And before you ask, NO, no one at the palace has made any moves on me of the late, so there's no reason for you to come and kick anyone's butt. What about you? Have you confessed your feelings to HER yet? Don't deny it, I know you have them, and it would be stupid to wait for too long.

Moving past that, I have some news. Prince Kaito recently beat me in a battle. But something was wrong with him. He was acting violet and infuriated, as if I was his mortal enemy. His eyes were crazed, but just before that, his expression was blank and his eyes were dull. Do you know anything about this? Is there some sort of disease or mental illness that can cause a normally rational person to act like this? Even a drug or alcohol?

If you find anything out, let me know. Say hello to the others for me, and try not to make the sketch you send this time TOO horrible, or I'll start thinking that my big brother is some weird monstrous THING. I love you.

Love,

Akira

Hak frowns in thought for a few reasons. One, why was his sister telling him to confess to the girl he likes? Two, should he tell her about the group's current situation? The last time they contacted each other was when Su-Won was still in their good graces.

The green haired man peeks over his shoulder. He spies the sketch of Hak's sister and grins creepily. "My, you have an attractive sibling, Hak. How old is she?"

WHACK

He's immediately smacked on the head by Hak's spear. "Don't you dare start eyeing my sister, Droopy Eyes." Jae-Ha, also known as Droopy Eyes, once again looks at the letter and smiles. "So even she's telling you to hurry and confess to Yona de-WHOA!!" Jae-Ha flies into a tree after getting punched in the gut by the Thunder Beast.

"Huh? Did you say my name, Jae-Ha?" the crimson haired girl turns around in confusion. "It was nothing, Princess Yona," Hak deadpans. "Oh." she turns to the silver-haired man. "Kija, have you seen Shin-ah anywhere?" Suddenly, a soft voice speaks out. ".......Thunder Beast.....is your.....sister....in a.......different kingdom?" Everyone turns to see a masked man standing near a tree. "Yeah, Shin-ah, she is. Why?" Shin-ah looks away. "...No...reason."

"Moth-I mean, Yun, hand me some paper and a pencil will you?" Once retrieving these materials, Hak writes out a short letter to his sister.

Dear Akira,

Yo. Everything's fine here. We're traveling around the kingdom for a little, but Su-Won decided not to join us. We've gained some new comrades as well, but I won't bother writing out their names. You know how lazy I am.

I'm sorry about the king. I'm also sorry that you were beaten by the prince. Clearly, you need to train harder. Also, stop butting into my love life. That's none of your business.

Try to write more often, will you? I won't bother with a sketch, I'm still bad with drawing.

Love,

Hak

Tying this letter onto Eclipse's leg, Hak sends her off once more. Then, he rips up the letter that she sent to him, including the sketch, and dissolves them in water, so that no one can read the message.

"Aww, Hak, I wanted to keep that sketch," Jae-Ha says with a pout. In response, Hak traps him in a choke hold for a few seconds.

In response, Hak traps him in a choke hold for a few seconds

"Stop being so creepy about my sister, Droopy Eyes."

Following this cheerful conversation, everyone goes to bed.

Except for Shin-ah, who stares at the picture of the girl slowly disappearing. A memory briefly flashes through his head.

"It's okay. I'm a monster too."

KAI'S POV

After leaving the palace, Kasumi falls asleep straight away, so it's just my brother and I walking through the forest.

Akira is still unconscious on my back, but her arms stay locked around my neck, her head resting on my hair. Her breathing is shallow, and I can feel her abnormal heat on my back. She reopened her wound and lost blood from over exertion. What an idiot.

"Ichiro, do you know any way to treat this out in the wilderness? We don't have much medical supplies." My brother turns his head to me and nods slightly. "I think witch hazel can be found around here, but we should walk for a little more before we stop."

I nod. "We have a roll of bandages in my bag, but..." Ichiro and I look at each other, and an understanding passes between us.I hope Akira wakes up before we have to set up camp. Otherwise, we'll be in trouble.

I turn forward again and keep walking. Akira's arms tighten around my neck. Not enough to strangle me, but it kind of hurts.

As this happens, I don't notice the shadow that crosses Ichiro's face as he watches us.

***

After a little while, we stop and set up camp near a small spring. Ichiro runs off to find witch hazel, and Kasumi sleeps against a tree. I'm about to set Akira down, but then a thought crosses my mind. Wait, how can I put her down without making her wound worse?

Out of ideas, I gently set Akira down on her stomach in the grass. I know, it's not that great an idea, but what else can I do?

Ichiro comes back with an armful of shrubs covered in yellow flowers. He puts a few flowers in his hand, drips in some water from the spring, and begins to grind them into a paste with the handle of one of his daggers. In a few minutes he's done, but Akira still isn't awake yet, so...

We glance at each other nervously. In order to treat her wound, we need to take off the bandages, and if we do that...

"Relax, I'll do it." Huh? Akira's eyes flutter open, and she slowly pushes herself up from the ground. She winces in pain, but she manages to sit up. "H-here, give me the medicine and I'll treat myself. You two need to leave now." I'm surprised that she's awake and ready to treat herself, but Ichiro and I quickly head off into the woods, not eager to find out what Akira would do to us if we didn't leave in time.

AKIRA'S POV

Ugh...my head is pounding and I feel really dizzy, but I have to use the witch hazel to heal myself.

After redoing my bandages, I see that blood has almost completely soaked the back of my top, not too mention that there's a large tear in it. My cloak was over my shoulder though, so at least that's clean.

I wash off my tunic with the water from the spring, but I cup my palms and pour water over it, instead of washing it in the only source of water we currently have. I hang it over the branch of a nearby tree to dry.

I wrap myself in my short cloak and put the hood up, my hair loose and messy. I sweep it out my face and stare up at the stars, the thick band of diamonds clearly visible without any clouds in the way.

My eyes start to droop from exhaustion, and before I know it, I'm lying down on my side, staring at the stars reflected on the spring's surface

My eyes start to droop from exhaustion, and before I know it, I'm lying down on my side, staring at the stars reflected on the spring's surface.

The heavens are welcoming the king that has joined them.

KAI'S POV

It's been a while since Akira sent us away. I want to head back to see if she's alright, but...

If she's still changing her bandages... I DON'T THINK SHE'D LET ME LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY!!!!

Still, I'm getting worried, and I stand up from beneath a tree and start to head back. "Kai, what are you doing?" Ichiro asks, raising an eyebrow at me. "If Aki's still changing, she'll cut out your eyes and slit your throat." I set my jaw. "I'll take my chances."

I walk back to the camp, but once I'm just a few yards away, I call out softly. "Akira...? Are you okay now?"

No answer.

I cover my eyes and step into the camp, but since I don't feel a spear stabbing through my heart, I'm guessing that Akira's fine.

I open my eyes to see her lying on her side in front of the spring, breathing steadily with her hair on her face. "So she's okay."

I spin around to identify the voice, and see my younger brother standing there. Without a word, he walks over, and gently pulls Akira into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. He drapes his cloak over her and sits back against a tree, still holding her. "You take watch big bro, I'm going to sleep."

His head droops and rests on her hair, his eyes closing.

Seeing them like that together causes a pain in my heart for some reason. Actually, before Ichiro shut his eyes, he flashed me some kind of look.

Was he doing it just to annoy me?

I sit against a tree opposite to them, with my bag and our weapons sitting next to me.

Sorry, little brother, but I don't plan on losing to you.


	10. Personally, I've Seen Worse

ICHIRO'S POV

I pull the sleeping beauty into my arms and lean against a tree, covering her with my cloak. "You take watch, big bro, I'm going to sleep." I lean my head onto Aki's hair and flash my brother a look. I'm not letting you have her.

I shut my eyes and fall asleep to the wind rustling the trees and the scent of cinnamon.

***

I open my eyes as the sunlight streams through the tree branches. Akira is still sleeping, so I lay her down on the grass and glance around for my brother. He's nodding off against a tree, and Kasumi hasn't moved, so I'm the only one awake.

I climb all the way to the highest branch of the tree and sit there, staring at the clouds floating by. So much has changed in the past hours. Akira was badly injured by my own brother, our father passed away, we were almost killed by the man whom we considered family, and forced to abandon the only home we knew.

I close my eyes as the breeze ruffles my hair, wondering what General Akihiro was going to do when he was told that we were missing.

AKIHIRO'S POV

"Sir, we've searched around the palace for the two princes and the girl, but there's no sign of them or your daughter."

I look out over the palace walls, to the surrounding city of Miru, as if trying to spot the four from afar. I can't believe they were foolish enough to take my daughter when they ran. I can't believe that she didn't even fight.

"Sir, shall we extend the radius to search for them?" Commander Maya asks me. I shake my head. "No, leave them be. The princes and Akira aren't stupid, they know that they'll only draw attention to themselves if they start going around accusing me of murder. They will keep my daughter alive, as well. They aren't cruel enough to simply kill her. I want to see her as soon as possible, but I don't want to risk her being treated as a hostage. For now, if anyone asks, say that Lady Akira kidnapped my daughter and the princes have left the kingdom in my care for now."

Commander Maya nods and walks away. I shut my eyes for a little, slightly unsure of myself.

Uncle! Uncle! Look, Father taught us how to play shogi! Will you play with us?

I sigh as I recall the faces of those young boys. The boys who I considered my sons. Now they hate me, and I have no right to try and make peace with them.

But I no longer have my best friend, or those two young men who I was so proud of. So I have no hesitations anymore.

AKIRA'S POV

I shake Kasumi's shoulders, determined for her to wake up. Finally, her eyes open and she runs her hand through her messy bedhead.

Everyone is awake now, so we need to start moving. But, before that...

"You really need to take a bath," I say, wrinkling my nose. "You smell like you spent the night in a mudhole." Kai groans, but finally, he agrees. Kasumi, Ichiro and I head off into the woods to give him his privacy. Ichiro walks deeper into the woods to keep a lookout for any people.

I mindlessly sharpen my Quandao with a stone while Kasumi draws random things in the dirt with a stick. Neither one of us speaks until Kasumi whispers, "How many people have you killed, Akira?"

I continue to run the stone across my blade. "I've lost count," I say, not remotely bothered. "You-you lost count?!" she jumps up, clearly shocked. "Yeah, why?"

She shudders. "That is horrifying. For you to murder that many people. It's digusting." I roll my eyes and stand up, bending my knees so that I can look her in the eyes. "Listen, little princess, there were people fighting for their lives while you were obsessing over what to wear. There were children starving to death while you refused to eat food that wasn't your favorite. There were soldiers losing their lives for you, someone who never even remotely cared about what happened to them." Kasumi gasps and looks down, as if unable to comprehend what I'm saying. I don't care, I'm tired of treating her as though she's better than me.

"I started to kill people when I was nine years old. If you think this wound on my back is horrible, I've experienced worse. I killed to survive, I killed to keep myself and my brother alive, and he did the same for me, before we parted ways. Not everyone has a perfect life automatically given to them because of who their parents were. I've seen many things, many terrifying things. Women and children being sold into slavery, people funneling drugs into towns, destroying the lives of those living there. I've seen toddlers being attacked by bandits, simply for the fun of it. Towns abandoned by the king, destroyed by the army. I've seen-" "STOP!! JUST STOP!!!" Kasumi cries out, covering her face with her hands and weeping.

I stare at her, unable to give sympathy. "You're so weak, it's revolting. Just hearing about these things make you cry. You might think that I'm cruel, but look at yourself. Always insulting those people who served you every day, just because they are of lower social status then you." Kasumi sits back down crying, and I just look at her, disdainful.

"Hey, I'm done, either of you want to wash up?" Kai comes up behind us, his hair still wet. I stand up. "I'll go, I don't exactly feel at my best right now." I start to head towards the spring, when Kai grabs my arm. "What, you're just going alone? Don't you think you should have someone to guard you? Because I wouldn't mind-" I immediately smack him in the face. "When did you become such a perv?" I turn around and walk away, still able to hear his quiet laughter behind me.

KAI'S POV

I sit down next to Kasumi after teasing Akira a little bit. I am so through with being the shy, quiet person. FROM NOW ON, I WILL BE ASSERTIVE!!!!!

Also, Akira hasn't smiled since we left the palace. She's acting like how she did when she first came here, and I don't like it. So, may as well try to cheer her up somehow, right? She loves beating me up anyway, so may as well give her a reason.

Kasumi is sniffling next to me, her eyes puffy and her nose red. "Kasumi, what's wrong? Did Akira say something?" She shakes her head and wipes away her tears. "I-it's just...I guess I miss Dad a little." I raise my eyebrows. So she did say something.

I sigh. Seriously, did Akira really have to make her cry? What did she say to her? I can't believe this. "Kasumi, stay here. I'll be right back." I walk towards the spring, an evil prank forming in my mind.

AKIRA'S POV

I splash water on my face to get rid of the dirt on my cheeks. Thanks for that, Ichiro, making me sleep face down on the ground.

"Oi, Akira!" I turn my head around, only my head, to see Kai standing on the rocks near the spring. I just roll my eyes and turn away. "Go away, ya creep." Suddenly-

"OOPS, I SLIPPED!!" My head snaps around once more to see Kai fall comically into the water. "AAAGGGGHHHH!!!!!" I dash out of the water, scooping up my clothes and wrapping myself in a towel in the process. I don't stop running until I'm in a small cave like structure about 300 yards away.

Gasping for breath, my face is flushed with anger. WHY THE HECK WOULD HE DO THAT???!?!?!? THAT WAS NO ACCIDENT, I SWEAR I'M GOING TO SNAP HIS NECK AND RIP OFF HIS ARMS!!!!!

My injury isn't bleeding too much, so I simply wipe off the blood, reapply the witch hazel and redo my bandages. I had to keep all of this stuff with me at all times and be extra careful not to lose it.

Once I'm fully dressed, I stomp back into the camp, where everyone else is waiting. Kai is leaning against a tree, drying off with a towel, an irritating grin still on his face. I point my finger accusingly at him. "YOU." I suddenly grab Ichiro's bow and arrow and shoot at his head.

The arrow slams into the tree bark above his ear. He looks shocked for a second, but then he smiles. "You missed." I toss Ichiro his bow and arrows and shake my head. "Check your hair." He runs his hand over his hair, and his mouth drops open. "There-there is a RACING STRIPE ON THE SIDE OF MY HEAD IN MY HAIR!!!!" I don't even smirk. "Next time, you won't get off with just a haircut."

I turn to Ichiro and Kasumi. "We have to go to a village so that we can get supplies, but it could be dangerous if we go to just any town. Akihiro may have posted sketches of our faces. But I know a place we can go to, just near the mountain." Ichiro raises his eyebrows. "How can we be sure they won't just turn us in?"

I turn and stare at the mountain. "They owe me a few favors."

Cookies:

1\. When Ichiro was on the lookout for anyone passing by, he encountered a tiny white fox.

Although the fox ran away shortly after, it still appears to be following the gang...

2\. A little bit before Hak sent Eclipse away, Jae-ha told her to bring back another picture of Akira as soon as possible. The hawk responded by doing her business on his head.


	11. Everyone Loves Pets, Right?

AKIRA'S POV

The group walks behind me as I navigate through the forest towards the village. I haven't been there in a while, but I'm certain everyone remembers me. After all, how can you forget the lady who saved your home from the iron fist of a cruel leader?

However, the villagers are not aware that I'm actually Lady Akira, and I would like to keep it that way. The village is not exactly up to date on all the news from the capital of Miru, so they wouldn't be aware that the Tiger Lily and I are one in the same. I can't say the same for the others, though.

Before we reach the village, I turn around to address the other three. "Listen, we need to create some identities for you, because I don't want the villagers to realize that you are two princes and a princess on the run with one of the most powerful warriors in the country." Everyone nods, even Kasumi, who's expression has been dull since we left the spring.

"So, we could just be travelling companions, right?" Kai asks. I nod. "Okay, so we need some new names," Ichiro says, tapping his finger on his chin in thought. "Um, I'll be...Mikoto." Kai grins mischievously. "I'll be...Hideaki! Because, obviously, I possess plenty of excellence." (A/N Hideaki means shining excellence) I simply roll my eyes and turn to Kasumi, who's been silent the entire time. "What is your name going to be, princess?" Kasumi closes her eyes for a second, then speaks, her voice colorless. "...Mariko."

"Okay, so Ichiro is Mikoto, Kai is Hideaki, and Kasumi is Mariko. Everyone at the village knows me as simply Kira, so get used to calling me that." 

Suddenly, I sense movement behind me, and unsheathe my spear, pointing it at the bushes. "Who's there?" The bushes rustle and the leaves part to reveal...

"Yip! Yip!"

...a tiny white fox.

It stares up at me with wide eyes, not remotely bothered by the sharp blade a mere inch from its head. Instead, it runs up the shaft onto my shoulder and nuzzles its face into my cheek.

"What...what is this?"

A look of surprise on my face, I slowly reach up and pet the fox's head. It gives a joyful squeak and cuddles against my cheek, wrapping itself in my hair. I look up to see Ichiro and Kai staring at me, their faces tinged red.

ICHIRO AND KAI'S POV

Sparkles and roses fly around those two. Akira looks surprised and pets the fox's head, who curls up in her hair.

Kawaii...

BACK TO AKIRA'S POV

I take the fox off my shoulder and into my hands. It's small enough to fit in my palms and has the softest fur I've ever felt. Its snowy pelt is quite smooth, and its small tail waves back and forth.

Ichiro shakes his head and focuses on the fox. "Hey, I saw that little guy back at the spring! Has he been following us this whole time?" Kasumi smiles for the first time in a while. "He's really cute!" Kai walks over and attempts to pet the fox's head, but it promptly squeaks and scrambles back onto my shoulder, cowering against me. "Looks like he has good judgement," I say. Kai scowls at me and backs off.

I sigh. "I guess I'll keep him. Hopefully when Eclipse comes back, she won't try to eat the little guy..." I scratch between the fox's ears. "I'm going to call you... Ren."

Kai smirks at me. "You know, with a kawaii fox on your shoulder, you won't look as intimidating. Maybe you'll finally gain some appeal." I respond by smacking him over the head. Suddenly, a thought comes to me. "Dang it, Eclipse...! If she heads back to the castle and they find her, we'll lose our only way of communication to my ally." Ichiro raises his eyebrows at the word 'ally' but simply reassures me. "She's a smart hawk, she'll know something's up. Besides, you've got him to comfort you." He points to Ren, who is now attempting to eat the finger I have been petting him with. "Yip!"

I merely smile and turn back around, heading towards the village.

*magical timeskip by kawaii Ren*

As we near the entrance of the village, I spot two young males sleeping against each others' backs. An irk mark appears on my forehead, and I promptly kick them over. "OI!! Does this town grant its guards a nap time now?" They immediately jump up and glance around for a sec, before focusing on me. "Huh...? Wait, Kira-sama!! You're back!" They run to hug me, but I sidestep and they face plant on the ground. 

I scratch my head. "Jeez. Abi, Zen, you two are as lazy as ever." Abi, the one with dark brown hair pouts slightly, while Zen, the one with the rust colored hair, just sighs in a dreamy, and rather disturbing manner. "Hey, Zen. Stop acting so weird after being hurt." He starts to reply, when they both spot Ichiro and Kai behind me. 

"So, Kira," Abi begins in an irritated tone. "Who are they?" Ichiro opens his mouth to reply when Kai suddenly steps forward. "Oh, I'm just her fiance." 

Huh?

HUH?!?!?!?

I open my mouth to insult him and call him stupid, when he simply pulls me close and rests his chin on my head, his arms hanging loosely around my shoulders. "We've been dating for quite a while." I'm clenching my fists so hard, that I feel small pricks of pain, and soon, a warm liquid stains my fingers a bright red. Luckily, no one seems to notice. Kai, what happened to your head to make you act like this??!?!?!

Kai just keeps speaking. "I'm her fiance, Hideaki, that's my younger brother Mikoto, and that's my future wife's childhood friend Mariko. We were going to visit family to plan the wedding."

Oh, you mean the wedding you'll never be able to see because in a few hours you'll be praying for the sweet release of DEATH? That wedding?

Abi and Zen's jaws are on the ground in shock. Ichiro looks like he can barely hold in laughter, but there's a dark glint in his eye. Kasumi hides her shock with a well placed eye roll. "Do you have to start gloating, Hideaki? I mean, we get it! You two are super in love, move on!" she exclaims in mock disgust. I can practically feel Kai's annoying smirk. "I just wanted to make it clear to them not to flirt with my Kira-chan."

M-m-m-MY KIRA-CHAN?!??!?!? WHAT'S UP WITH THE POSSESSIVENESS AND THE CHAN?!??!?

"What are you doing?" I mutter angrily out of the corner of my mouth. "It's more believable this way. I mean, just 4 friends travelling together is weird," He whispers back. As much as I hate to admit it, he has a point. But! That doesn't mean I'm going to start being all lovey dovey with this son of a-

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT THE FOLLOWING DIALOGUE IS CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES, SO WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A BLEEP OUT FOR THIS DIALOGUE. ALL OLDER READERS AND YOUNG READERS WITH INEXPLICABLY LARGE VOCABULARIES, FEEL FREE TO USE IMAGINATION.

Abi and Zen recover from their surprise and turn to me. "W-well, Kira-sama, the elder will want to see you." Obvious irritation displayed on their faces, they lead us inside the town. Kai lets go of my shoulders and I have to hold myself back from slugging him.

Kasumi and Ichiro walk a little ways behind, while Kai stays next to me. Luckily for him, he doesn't try to touch me again. Meanwhile, I wipe away the blood from my palms and Ren nuzzles against my cheek, as if saying, Cheer up! I know that you have better judgement than to choose THAT guy!!

I smile thinly, but unfortunately, Kai notices. "What's up?" he whispers, leaning closer as we walk. "Warming up to the fact that I'm your future husband, Kira dear?" I smile sweetly at him, my silver eyes sparkling. "As if that would ever happen."

STORY TIME!!!

1\. While they were walking towards the elder's house, Abi and Zen were trying to come up with ways of breaking off the "engagement" between Kai and Akira. Their methods ranged from making it look as though Kai was cheating on Akira with a village girl to simply shoving him off a cliff. In the event that they resorted to the cliff option, they started arguing over who would comfort Akira for her loss. It eventually lead to Abi shouting, "NO WAY!! SHE WOULD MUCH RATHER BE HUGGED BY ME!!!" which resulted in a lot of strange looks and a face palm done by Zen.

2\. When Kai had put his arms around Akira's shoulders, he neglected to consider Ren, who ended up being squished by his arm. Once Kai let go, he was almost frightened to death because of the look Ren gave him.

Once Kai let go, he was almost frightened to death because of the look Ren gave him.

But that wasn't the only reason Ren was mad. I mean, who did that big oaf think he was, unnecessarily touching the fox's best friend (Akira) right in front of him!!!

3\. On the way back to Akira, Eclipse had actually seen Ren before he joined the gang. Unfortunately, they didn't get along. Eclipse's first thought was, Oh thank God, finally some food, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. Ren's first thought was, BIG!!! SCARY!!!! GONNA EAT ME!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! This resulted in Ren scampering off through the woods, where he eventually spotted the group.


	12. Diagnosis: Puberty

THIRD PERSON POV

Back in Hinode palace, the four clan generals have gathered, called by the famous general Suzuki Akihiro. They all sit and wonder about what could possibly be so important as to call a clan meeting. Sitting around a table are the leader of the Hyō Clan, Yan Ryo, Fujimoto Osamu of the Taka Clan, Kita Tadashi, leader of the Ōkami Clan, and leader of the Fukurō Clan, Yamamoto Tetsuya. 

General Akihiro walks in, followed by Commander Maya. Everyone looks up at him expectantly. Maya sighs. "Although we had planned to keep this quiet for a while, present circumstances have forced us to let this matter come to light. King Masaki passed away a few days ago because of the illness that had been plaguing him for over a year." The leaders gasp in shock. "WHAT?!? You call us out here and tell us that the king is DEAD?!?!?" Ryo yells in anger. Tadashi looks around in confusion. "What of the princes? Why is Kaito not leading this meeting? Where is Lady Akira?" Akihiro raises his hand to signal silence.

"The night of the king's death, Lady Akira kidnapped my daughter and left the palace. The two princes went to look for her and entrusted the leadership to me in their absence." 

All of the generals look at one another. They had met Lady Akira. Her strength had surpassed theirs when she was merely thirteen, and she wasn't a bad person. They have their doubts about her kidnapping Lady Kasumi. They also don't believe that both the princes would go looking for her at the same time. They were smart, they knew the risks if both of them went. But the leaders aren't stupid. They know when to speak their thoughts, and now wasn't one of those times. Akihiro is a formidable opponent, and no leader wished to bring his wrath on their clan.

"I guess...until the princes return...I have no problem with General Akihiro leading the country," Osamu says after a moment of silence. The other generals nod in agreement, but a hidden understanding passes between them - for now, they would accept Akihiro's rule, but they would investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding the missing princes and girls.

AKIRA'S POV

We enter the house where the elder lives. I haven't seen him for a little, but I'm sure he's just as energetic as he was when I first met him.

"Ah, Kira! Good to see you again, child!" Elder Shiro is smiling happily when he spots me.

Now, understand when I say "Elder" I don't mean a hunched over little man with a cane. I mean a tall, aged man with greying hair, battle scars, and a strong body. He can still fight from when he was in the war, and can be scary when he's mad.

I kneel respectfully. "Elder Shiro, I see you're in good health." He nods smiling, and his attention turns to the other three. Abi dutifully introduces them. "Elder, this is Kira's childhood friend Mariko, and the two brothers Hideaki and Mikoto. Hideaki is...Kira's lover." Elder Shiro's jaw drops in shock while Kai smiles cheekily. Shiro quickly composes himself. "I must admit, I'm rather disappointed. I was hoping to persuade you to marry Yamato, my grandson, the next time you visited."

At that, it's my turn to be surprised. I had met Yamato the last time I was here, and he was nice enough, but I can't see myself marrying him. Heck, I can't see myself get married at all. But, the thing about Yamato is... he was pretty chubby. He was short and cowardly, and he's two years older than me. I know I shouldn't judge people, but...that kid was just not strong enough for my standards. Or for anyone's standards, for that matter.

We're interrupted by a young man entering the room, and at the sight of him, Kasumi's face turns bright red. I hate to admit it, but I could feel myself turning red too. He was tall, with black hair and dark eyes and oh God it's happening I'M TURNING INTO A GIRLY GIRL BY THE SECOND HERE AHHHHH!!!!

"Oh, Yamato, you've come to join us!"

Wait, did he just say that THAT'S THE SAME MINIATURE BOWLING BALL I SAW ALL THAT TIME AGO?!?!?!?

Yamato glances at me for a minute and smiles. I think Kasumi just melted into a romantic puddle over there. "Good to see you again Kira!" he says fondly. I simply nod. "Y-Yamato! You've...changed." He laughs. "Yeah, I've been training a bit. So? How've you been?" I answer smiling now, a bit at ease with the familiar tone he's using. "I've been pretty good. I got a well-paying job and-" 

I'm cut off by Kai's sharp tone. "And she got engaged. To me." I sweat drop and glance at Kai, who has an irritated expression on his face. Yamato raises his eyebrows. "Really?" he looks at Elder Shiro. "Looks like your plan fell through, jii-chan." 

Shiro fumes. "I've told you before to call me Grandpa, ya little twerp!"

I hide my amused grin. Looks like this visit is going to be fun.

1\. Kasumi was absolutely captivated by Yamato the entire rest of the conversation. When she was introduced to him, he said, "It's nice to meet you, Mari-chan." She needed to be carried away because she had been having a cuteness overload and almost fainted.

2\. When Kai got irritated at Yamato, he even tried to put his arm around Akira's waist. This resulted in a bright red pinch mark on his hand and an earful of obscenities communicated through eye contact.

3\. While the others were talking, Ren the fox wandered outside for a bit and played in the grass. Suddenly, he heard a familiar screech and looked up to see that a hawk had landed on the roof of the house and was staring at him intently. It was Eclipse, who had spotted Ren and this time was determined to catch him. Ren immediately dashed inside and curled up on Akira's shoulder, quivering in fear. Eclipse looked through the doorway and saw her master sitting there, and decided to wait for her outside, forgetting about Ren. For now.


	13. Sexy Jealousy Is Kinda My Forte

KAI'S POV

As Akira speaks with Elder Shiro, I observe the new guy, Yamato. I immediately dislike him, with his brooding expression and his familiarity with Akira. I clench my fists at my sides as Shiro says, "You two would've been a perfect match for one another!" while pointing at Yamato and Akira, as if I don't even exist.

Yamato glances at me. "So you were the one Kira picked, huh?" I make no attempt to hide my frown. "Yeah, I was. Guess you should've put a ring on it when you still had her, huh?" Suddenly, I feel a pain in my side. "Hideaki! Don't be rude!" Akira chastises me after elbowing my ribs. OH COME ON!!!! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ICE COLD TIGER LILY, NOT THE GIRL WHO FALLS FOR SOME PRETTY BOY!!!

Akira winces, her hand drifting to her back. "Ugh..." Elder Shiro raises his eyebrows."My dear, are you hurt?" Ichiro answers. "She was sliced in the back by a bear we encountered in the forest." I nod. "She needs some proper treatment."

Elder Shiro nods. "We will continue this conversation after you rest a bit, Kira. Yamato, go tell the servants to prepare a room for her." Yamato swiftly leaves, thank goodness. Akira waves off our attempts to help, and stands up, Elder Shiro leading her to her room. Ren scampers behind them, but not before turning around and....

D-did that fox just stick his tongue out at me?!?!

Timeskip

AKIRA'S POV

I sit against the wall of my new room, my head aching.

A little while ago, the wound on my back had been stitched and treated by some of the servants. I'm grateful, but we can't stay at the village for too long. Sooner or later, palace soldiers will arrive. And I can't let myself get caught.

Not even looking up, I say out loud, "Elder, Yamato, you can come in." A moment later, the two males enter the room. "How did you know we were out there?" Yamato questions. "Sensed you were coming."

Elder Shiro sat down before me, and gave a smile. "So, how are you enjoying your visit so far, Lady Akira?" My head snaps up sharply, eyes widened. "How did you-?" Yamato answers in a cool tone of voice. "Don't worry, no one else knows. We heard about the famed Tiger Lily of Hinode Palace only a year after you first came here. Based on what we found out, it didn't take long to put the pieces together." I sigh, slightly annoyed that I've been found out and my cover destroyed.

"Then, you know about the other three?" Elder Shiro nods. "We won't tell anyone, but I have to ask, why are they with you, and so far from the palace?" I look away, my eyes darkening. "...It's a long story." The two men glance at each other, then turn back to me. "We won't ask about that, then. But for how long are you going to stay?"

I turn back to them. "That's the thing. I'm leaving, not them." Yamato gives a start at my answer. "Excuse me?" I continue talking. "Those three are going to stay here, as normal citizens, and you are going to watch over them." The look in my eyes makes it clear that I'm not giving them a choice. Elder Shiro gives me a stern look. "What are you going to do? My guess is that you want avoid detection." I nod. "If the palace soldiers find me, I'll be dead, the princes and the girl will be dead, and this town will be doomed for harboring us 'fugitives'."

"So, you're just going to run away?" Yamato is clearly disappointed in me, but I don't care. I've made up my mind. "I will run away because I don't care about them. I don't give a crud about what happens to this country. They could all be killed right in front of me, and I wouldn't bat an eye. I was never loyal to anyone except for the one person I care about, and he's miles away." The two stare at me, shocked by the words that flow so easily from my lips. But it's the truth.

Elder Shiro sighs, ruffling his hair. "You're not changing your mind." I shake my head. "I'm leaving tonight. The only living creature that's coming with me is Ren." At the sound of his name, the little fox lets out a "Yip!" and climbs onto his designated place on my shoulder.

Shiro closes his eyes, and speaks slowly. "The girl will most likely stay, but I can't guarantee anything about the princes, especially the one who says that you two are engaged. That practically gives away how he feels about you." I raise my eyebrows, but speak stonily.

"Guess he'll just have to suffer from a one-sided love, then."

KASUMI'S POV

"Mari-chan! Hey, Mari-chan!" I turn around to see a young girl of maybe seven or eight running towards me. I bend my knees to look her in the eye. "Mari-chan, I was playing with my friends when the skirt of my kimono got torn. Will you please fix it for me?" At this, I almost scoff at her, for suggesting that I do something meant for servants, when someone's painful words ring through my head.

...look at yourself. Always insulting those people who served you every day, just because they are of lower social status then you. 

...I don't know what to think of myself anymore. All I ever thought about was my dresses and jewelry, and spending time with Kai. I just kept protecting my own small happiness in my own small world, never caring about the lives of my servants, or the lives of those who protected this country, who protected me.

I give a small sigh. "I'm sorry, little one. I don't know how to sew." The girl looks down disappointed, when a small growl escapes from my stomach. "Ha ha! You must be hungry, Mari-chan! Come with me! I can make you some dumplings, and you can try to fix my kimono!" The little girl tugs my hand, and surprise lingers on my face, but a small smile forms on my lips. "Thank you."

As I follow her, thoughts race through my head. This girl, who doesn't even know me, believes that I can do something I've never tried, and is even making dumplings for me, when I can't offer her anything in return. This child's eyes, full of kindness and innocence, look at me and see a normal girl. Not someone who they need to please, or obey, just someone to be nice to, and to get to know.

It's kind of refreshing, in a way.

Timeskip

I sit at a small table in the girl's house. She introduced herself as Izumi, and is currently in her kitchen, cooking, while I struggle to sew up the tear in her kimono.

Ow...I pricked myself again.

Eventually, the tear is held together by a few large, uneven stitches, but it's fixed, anyway. Izumi comes in carrying a small tray with a cup of tea and a plate of dumplings on it. She sets it in front of me, looking excited. "This looks good," I comment. "She nods enthusiastically. "Uh huh! They taste good too!" I take a small bite out of one the dumplings. It's filled with vegetables and tastes delicious. I smile at Izumi. "These are wonderful, Izumi. Can you teach me how to make them?" She smiles widely. "Ok!"

I can't help but ask, "Izumi, why are you being so nice to me?" She smiles at me again. "You're a friend of Kira-chan! And Kira-chan was always nice when she first came here!!" I raise my eyebrows. "Really? What did she do?"

"This bad man named Shin kept taking money from Mommy and Daddy. Other people too. Kira-chan came and made him go away, so now everyone's happy!" I rack my brains to try and recognize the name Shin, but nothing comes to mind. Instead, I feel disbelief. At the fact the Akira seemed to save this town, that everyone seemed to like her, that she was once kind.

Somehow, I hate the fact that she's so...perfect.

KAI'S POV

It's nighttime now. I lie down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, as memories float lazily through my mind.

*four years ago*

The girl readied her spear in front of her, as I took up a defensive position with a spear of my own. This girl, whom no one seemed to know, who called herself Akira, fascinated me. The smirk that she'd worn when introducing herself was long gone, replaced by coldness. Not to mention that many of the women in the audience seemed scandalized at the fact that a girl would willingly wear pants and a garment that showed her arms.

The announcer signaled the match, but it didn't last long. Akira disappeared in a blur, and within a second, she was behind me, her spear at my neck. At the same time, my own spear snapped in half. What the-? When did she use her blade??!?

The entire crowd was silent, everyone was in shock. I was astounded at being defeated so quickly, and so easily. Akira simply withdrew her spear and tossed me a sword. I stared in confusion. "Well? Are you going to try again? That was disappointing, and I want a challenge." I picked up the sword, determination in my eyes.

The announcer signaled the match once more, and this time, I was ready when she moved, I hastily blocked her attack when she came behind me, but surprisingly, found it hard to fend her off. Her strength was uncanny. Finally, I managed to shove away her spear and slashed my sword at her cloak, tearing it away. For the first time, I saw Akira's full face.

Bright, silver eyes, that sparkled with mischief, looked back at me. Her long black hair came tumbling down her shoulders, and I was in shock. Something about her eyes was familiar, like something I'd seen long ago.

I didn't notice her swing her spear. I was too late to stop my sword from being knocked from my hands.

For the second time, I was beaten by her, and everyone was silent once more. Father spoke up. "Girl, come here." She walked towards his seat, ignoring the stares that followed her. "Kai, you too." I stood next to her, slightly confused.

"Akira, was it? Who trained you?" She answered stiffly, and rather disrespectfully. "Self taught." This surprised me, because I'd never seen anyone self taught fight so well. Father looked at her, and smiled. "You are a strong fighter. Would you be willing to become my sons' personal guard in the palace?" My jaw dropped. Ichiro and I would be fine without a guard, we knew how to fight.

Again, Akira was disrespectful. "And how would this benefit me?" Was she really refusing? Father raised his eyebrows. "Respect, proper training-" "I don't need respect, and I don't want a teacher. I live by my own rules. However, I currently have nowhere to go, so I accept."

I wasn't exactly impressed with her at that point, that attitude of hers needed to be put in check. "So pretty, yet so fierce. Almost like a tiger lily," I muttered under my breath. "I heard that, little prince."

I turned and glared at her, and she just stared back blankly.

That was the day I met Akira, the Tiger Lily of Hinode Palace.

*present time*

The sound of a door opening jolts me from my thoughts. I turn my head to see Akira standing there, glaring at me. "What are you doing in my room?" she asks angrily. I stare at her in confusion. "Huh? They said that this was my room..." Suddenly, it dawns on me, and I smirk at her. "Since we're engaged, I guess they thought we should share a room."

She groans. "Honestly, I'm going to kill those guys..." She points to the door. "Get out." I feign being hurt. "But, this is my room too. If we're going to get married, you have to learn to share."

"AHAHAHAHA-NO."

Seconds later, I'm out in the hallway, the doors closing behind me. I groan in pain. She literally kicked me out of the room...

I'm not standing for this, so I wrench open the door and stomp back inside. Akira is sitting on the bed, her eyes filled with anger. "GET. OUT." For the first time in a while, I'm furious with her. "No. I won't. I'm going to sleep. If you don't like it, go complain, and raise suspicion and cause trouble." She raises her eyebrows at me, and suddenly smiles. "Okay, if you want to sleep here, go ahead." I almost sigh in relief, before she stands up, walking past me and adding, "But I can't trust you in the same room with me, so I guess I'll go bunk with Yamato."

At these words, I freeze. "What?" She smiles again. "Yeah, I trust him enough, but he only has one bed in his room, so I guess we'll have to share..." Immediately, I'm right in front of her my eyes burning with rage. "You wouldn't." Akira smirks. "Of course I would. I mean, you and I aren't engaged or anything, so why would you care? Jealous?"

Oh no you don't, you're not pulling that one on me!

I smile evilly. "Maybe I am." This cracks her mask. "Huh?" I lean down and whisper in her ear. "Maybe I don't like the idea of you and that guy together. In any way."

She backs away, and suddenly, she's on the windowsill. "Guess I'll sleep on the roof then." Without another word, she leaps out of the building and disappears.

My plan didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to, but one thing is clear.

I won.

 

1\. Akira actually did end up sleeping on the roof. Eclipse saw her and they were reunited at last. Unfortunately for Akira, Eclipse also saw what happened between her and Kai. So now, the hawk is silently shipping Akirai. Even more than she did previously, anyway.

2\. Ren was watching Kai and Akira from a corner, and he was pretty hacked off. It took all of his willpower not to snap Kai's neck in two with his little fox paws. Once Akira left, Ren started pounding on Kai with two tiny fists, but the prince didn't notice and fell asleep. Ren kept punching him unnoticed for the entire night.

3\. Kasumi's cooking lessons with Izumi were a disaster. It took 27 tries, 10 bundles of vegetables, and 3 gallons of water to even get one batch right, and when that was over, the entire kitchen was covered in food. That day, Kasumi learned two things. A, she would never be a cook, and B, scraping failed dumplings off the wall was extremely hard. The cockroaches that tried to eat the dumplings she had made all died immediately, so she had to clean that up, too.


	14. Fluffy Romance is Clearly NOT Your Forte

AKIRA'S POV

My eyes snap open immediately. It's still dark, around midnight, but that's the perfect time for me. I have to leave after all. And I can't let anyone see me, not even the villagers. Yamato and Elder Shiro already know what's going to happen, even if they don't know when. By the time they get the news in the morning, I'll be long gone.

I have some business to take care of, anyway.

On a side note, Eclipse finally found me, thankfully not arriving at the palace. Apparently, she spotted Ren and was hungry, so she waited to find him and saw me. Yes, I can understand my pet hawk. If people talk to their dogs in baby voices, knowing they won't understand whatever the dog says, why is it weird that I can speak to my bird when I know I'll receive an answer?

I don't know where Ren is right now. Probably off raiding the kitchens in town. Hopefully he'll come back in time to come with me. But I have to get going.

I stealthily scale down the walls of the building, while getting a glimpse through the window of the room that used to be mine. Kai is sleeping on his side with a light snore, and a tiny ball of fur appears to be pummeling his back. Ren? The small fox turns around and spots me, its expression lighting up. I hold out my hand and he scrambles onto my shoulder, nestling against me. Eclipse is high in the sky, on the lookout for restless villagers.

I finally hit the ground softly, and make my way towards the weapons shop a couple yards away. I climb in through a window on the lower floor, and carefully choose what I'll need to take with me. Bow and arrows...already have a dagger...but maybe another would be good. I grab a small, sword from the shelf and slip it into my boot, so that I at least have one concealed weapon. I don't leave just yet, though. I'm not a thief, so I leave a small bag with 1,000 ling on the counter. It's a small price to pay, considering the trouble I caused the shop's owner the last time I was here. After seeing my skills, everyone wanted to fight me, so they 'borrowed' some weapons from here, and I destroyed every last one. Granted, maybe waiting five years to pay him back is a while, but better late than never. Right?

I sling the quiver of arrows over my head so that it goes over cloak, and drop my bow in it as well. I shoulder my spear and leave, with Ren sleeping against my spear shaft.

Before I leave, I have one more stop to make. A small house on the edge of town, with lilies and daisies growing around it. With one poor little girl living there. Her name is Izumi.

I slip inside, into her room. She sleeps peacefully, but her small features twist with pain. "Mommy...Daddy hurt..Mommy..." I frown, and gently stroke her light blonde hair. Her expression softens, and I continue to stroke her hair. A memory flashes through my head.

Wow! Kiwa-chan is so sthwong an' cool!! I wanna grow to be like Kiwa-chan someday!!

I sigh, and gently press my lips against her forehead. "You keep dreaming Izu, and find another thing to wish for. Don't grow to be like me," I murmur. I reach into the bag of supplies I gathered (and payed for, by the way) and pull out a small feather, dark brown streaked with gold, one of Eclipse's. Red-tailed hawk feathers symbolize bravery, and Izumi has plenty of that. She deserves to let everyone know. I set it down on the bedside table, a parting gift, and finally leave.

In a few minutes, I've reached the village gate, where Abi & Zen stand watch. I mentally curse. I was counting on their laziness to allow me an easy escape, but the one night I need it, they have to be awake. Well, taking them out without too much noise will be easy.

I sneak up behind the two, and swing the butt of my weapon at their heads. Not too hard, just enough to knock them out. Unfortunately, as soon as it hits Zen's head, knocking him out, Abi blocks it with his short sword. My eyes widen. His reflexes have improved.

He stares at me uncomprehendingly, and whispers, "I have no idea what you're doing, Kira, but nothing you say is going to-" I cut him off by leaning in and blowing in his ear. His entire face goes slack and red. "Going down..." he faints.

I smirk at them. "You guys are such dorks..." I whisper, and then make to leave. Suddenly, a voice calls out softly. "Where do you think you're going, Akira?"

I turn to see a pair of furious green eyes.

KAI'S POV

I'm enraged. Seething, livid, infuriated, you name it. What was she doing?!?!?

No matter how angry I am, I grit my teeth and keep it level. "Akira," I speak slowly. "What are you doing?" She looks surprised. "How did you find me?" I smile humorlessly. "That little rat on your shoulder kept punching me in the back after you went onto the roof. It didn't hurt, but it was kind of like a massage, so I just didn't do anything and fell asleep. A few hours later, I don't feel any tiny fists pounding into my shoulder blades, so I figured that something was up. So I look out the window and what do I see?" I step closer so that she can hear the rage in my words. "A little tiger girl running away. So, I'll ask you again. Where. Are. You. Going?"

She stares at me for a moment, then grins coldly. "Away, Your Majesty. You see, I don't have the time, patience, or quite frankly, the kindness to coddle little princesses and look after a little boy and his brother. So, I'm leaving." My fists clench and I feel the urge to punch a wall. "So you don't care about what happens to Ichiro? To me?" She taps her chin in mock thought. "Hmmm...ah, hang on..........nope. Never did care, and I don't plan on starting now. Anymore questions?"

I gape at her, astounded at how easily these horrific words flowed from her mouth, disgusted by how serene her face was, how much truth filled those sparkling silver eyes of hers. I start to lose my patience. "If you never cared in the least, why did you protect us all those years? Why'd you bring us here?" Akira just sighs. "I took the job of protecting you because it gave me a place to stay. As long as you were alive, I'd have food to eat and a roof over my head. And now, since you can't provide me with either, I'm leaving. I brought you here as a sort of farewell act if you will. You guys can live out your lives in peace, or you could go and try to win your kingdom back. I really don't care what you do."

"What if I don't let you leave?" I ask angrily, blocking her way out of the village. She blinks, then smirks. Suddenly, I feel something cold and sharp against my neck. "Then I kill you, leave you somewhere where no one could find you, and be on my way," she says slowly, holding her knife against my throat. My eyes widen. "You wouldn't dare," I say quietly. She presses the blade into my neck. "Wanna bet?"

I feel the cool metal break my skin, and step away from her. "Fine. Leave." She smiles, sheathes her dagger, and walks past me. "Goodbye, Prince Kai."

She's leaving. She's leaving. 

What am I doing?

"Akira! Wait!" I spin around to stop her, to convince her to stay.

But all that's left is the scent of cinnamon lingering in the cool night air.

1\. When Eclipse met up with Akira finally, she gave Akira a sort of 'knowing' look. Akira was all like, "The heck's wrong with my hawk?" But Eclipse just 'smiled' knowingly (can hawks smile?) and nudged Akira in the ribs with her wing, like wink wink nudge nudge. Akira finally caught on, and threatened to pluck all of the hawk's feathers out, one at a time. Eclipse didn't do anything else, and flew off. When she came back and they decided to leave, as Akira slid down the wall, she could've sworn that she saw a K + A in a heart scratched onto the brick. Those scratches looked suspiciously like talon marks...

2\. When Eclipse saw that her lunch - oh, my bad, I mean Ren - had become Akira's new travelling companion, she was furious. No, seething. No, wait - actually, if you want all the proper adjectives, use the ones listed above when Kai was mad, they work in this scenario. Ren, on the other hand, was delighted that he had protection from his longtime enemy's master, and took this opportunity to show off a little. He danced tauntingly on Akira's shoulder, yipped out insults in animalese, and even turned around and smacked his rear while sticking his tongue out at the hawk. Eventually, Akira was annoyed and made him walk on the ground behind her. You can bet that Eclipse had the time of her life getting back at Ren after that.

3\. Before Kai had woken up to find Akira, he was having a very strange dream. In it, he was 10 feet tall, extremely ripped, and was beating the heck out of Yamato, who was crying anime tears and screaming for his mommy. Oh, and Akira was sitting nearby, watching with hearts for eyes. Go figure.


	15. After Abandonment Comes Shopping

YAMATO'S POV

He's just...sitting there.

Staring straight ahead, with his fists clenched and his eyes burning in anger.

Behind the anger, I see regret, sorrow...

...and heartbreak.

Hideaki - or should I say, Prince Kaito - refuses to speak to us.

Sunlight streams into the room, illuminating Lady Kasumi's and Prince Ichiro's faces as they speak in confusion. Yes, I know who they are, so I won't bother using their fake names. Grandpa (A/N in case you forgot Elder Shiro is his grandpa) stands next to me, deep in thought. Izumi is crying into my shoulder, saying over and over, "She left! Big sister left!" and clutching a hawk feather in her tiny palms.

"I don't understand, why would she just leave like that?" Kasumi murmurs. Ichiro looks resentful. "Maybe we could understand, but the one person she talked to is being a stubborn idiot." He looks over at his brother, who just sits, unresponsive.

I mutter in Grandpa's ear. "I didn't know that she would leave so soon." He's about to reply when Kaito leaps up from his chair and strides over to me, furious. "What," he whispers angrily, "did you just say? You knew she was going to leave and you didn't try to stop her?! You didn't think of telling us?!" I meet his glare evenly, and speak blankly. "She deserves to let her secrets be kept."

I think that he's going to punch me, but he just blinks, and goes back to sit in his chair.

I sigh and tousle my black hair, while patting Izumi's head with my other hand.

"You must choose what you are going to do," Grandpa says to them after a moment of silence. "You can win back your kingdom by finding allies, or you can stay here."

Ichiro stands up. "Why can't we go find Akira?" Kaito speaks up sharply. "She'd kill us, with no hesitation." We all stare at him, shocked. "What...?" Kasumi has her hands over her mouth. Kaito just nods, sadness spread over his face.

"We'll get our home back." Ichiro says abruptly. "But going now, while the kingdom is still reeling from Father's death, would be suicide. We need allies, like you said. But who...?" I raise my hand. "You've just gained one. And I know a few other powerful people from different clans." Kaito stares at me, as if I'm the last person he wants to ask for help, but he finally nods and turns to Kasumi. "You can stay here."

She shakes her head furiously. "No. I can't keep being ignorant about the kingdom. I'm coming too, and if you say I can't, I will throw you out of this building and toss a brick onto your head." We all gape at her. What happened to the girly princess with a crush?

Grandpa smiles, and walks out. "I will get your supplies for you."

I ruffle Izumi's hair and whisper to her quietly. "Big brother will make sure big sister comes back, okay?" She grins widely. "Okay!"

ICHIRO'S POV

We will get our rightful home back.

And we will see Akira again.

So, from here on out, the story will be 95% Akira's POV, 4% these guys, and 1% back at the castle. For me, it's easier to focus on one plotline, so Akira is in the spotlight now.

AKIRA'S POV

I lean against a tree, in thought.

My plan is to go visit my brother in Kohka Kingdom, and travel with him and his friends. I read his letter, and I can tell something is up. However...

"The Tiger Lily is pretty well known in Kohka, and I'm still far from the border, so I need new clothes..." I'm approaching the city of Take (Tah-kay) where I know that I'll be able to find new clothes, as well as people who will recognize me. But I have to take chances.

On the edge of Take, I send Eclipse into the air, and hide my spear in the hollow of a tree. The dragon etched onto the blade winks in the sun, so I cover it up with leaves. Pulling my hood and hair over my eyes, I enter the city. I try not to spend too much time in the streets, and immediately duck into a tailor's. I see mainly kimonos, yukatas, until finally, I spot something that could work for me.

It's a dressy, full sleeve shirt patterned with multicolored flowers. It has a black sash around the waist, and has a flowy design. I'm fine with the sleeves and skirt like edge. The blouse isn't tight, so I can fight and run in it easily. The neck is a bit low cut, but I can't be too picky here. It's either this, or running around in a tight kimono.

It's either this, or running around in a tight kimono.

I pick that and a full length cloak with a low hood. It's color is black upon black, like the shadows of deer running through a forest at night. I pay the tailor 500 ling for the both of them and quickly leave.

At a few other shops, I buy a white hair ribbon, some small dumplings for Ren (who is currently asleep in my shopping basket), a bag of persimmons, a canteen of loquat cider, some medicinal herbs, and some cinnamon candies.

I have a lot of money on me, if you're wondering. Some, I got from Elder Shiro, but most of it I stole from the place treasury. I still have plenty, about 10,000 ling, in a small sack, which I will guard with my life, along with my cinnamon candy.

NO ONE TOUCHES MY CINNAMON CANDY.

I exit town as quickly as I can, keeping my face hidden. I reach the cluster of trees where I hid my spear, and begin my transformation. I slip into the blouse and tie the sash tightly, making a loop to hold my dagger and its sheath. I keep my leggings and boots because they don't stand out as much, but I shed the gold trimmed cape, trading it for the black full length one. Finally, the last touch.

I sweep all of my waist length hair over my left shoulder, gather it in my hand, unsheathe my dagger, and-

SWISH

\- cut it off.

Not completely though. I still like my hair. Before, It went down to my waist, and now, it just covers my shoulder blades. I tie this into a high ponytail with the white ribbon I bought. I consider whether to burn or destroy my old tunic, cape, and all of my old hair, but I reconsider.

After a few minutes, I shoot down a rabbit. In a space slightly close to Take, I drop my old cloak. I smear it with dirt and rabbit blood, and slash it with my dagger, creating tears in the fabric. I also sprinkle my old hair with blood and dirt, and drop it on the ground. I stomp on both items to give them a beaten look, and spill the rest of the blood in the surrounding area.

If anyone comes, hopefully a soldier, they'll recognize the cloak and believe that I'm badly injured by someone. Maybe Akihiro will be told and will think that Kai, Kasumi, Ichiro and I are still traveling together and that Kai killed me in one of his weird rages. Maybe he'll think the others tossed my body somewhere so that the general couldn't find it. For now, this is all the misleading I can do.

I head off, retrieve my spear, and call Eclipse down so that I can continue on my way to Kohka. Hurriedly, I cook the rabbit meat over a fire and spear it onto a stick. I pull my hood over my head and sweep my ponytail over my shoulder, with my quiver on my back and Ren on my shoulder opposite my hair. I shoulder my spear and soon, I'm walking towards the Kohka border, eating rabbit meat with a determination to escape this country.

I think about the 'evidence' I left behind and wonder if it will be enough. It's either that, or go falling off a cliff in front of a bunch of soldiers to make them think I'm dead.

And who's dumb enough to do that?

1\. While Ren was asleep in the basket, he dreamt that he was a tall, muscular human with silver hair and a handsome face. In his dream, he was speaking (really it was more like flirting) with an attractive young woman with...dark brown hair & gold highlights? Does that remind you of anybody? *wiggles eyebrows at a certain nearby hawk*

2\. Ren was dumb enough to touch the cinnamon candy. He thought, "Oh, she won't notice if I eat just one piece, right?"

She noticed.

Not to mention that the candy was too spicy for the fox to handle.

So now he is running through the forest, dodging a furious onslaught of arrows with his mouth shooting out flames.

Eclipse was watching all of this from the sky with a delighted grin.

3\. When Akira was shopping for clothes, some creepy guy started flirting with her. She held back from punching him as long as she could, but when he mentioned the word 'bed', a huge fight occurred. Well, it wasn't much of a fight, it was really the guy trying (and failing) to defend himself against the young woman. When the dust cleared, and the man's horrified shrieks ceased, the sight caused everyone in the marketplace to fall on the ground laughing. It looked like he had been forced into a bright pink kimono covered with flowers, and his face was covered in makeup. Akira stood nearby, cracking her knuckles while holding a stick of eyeliner in her mouth at the same time. The man ran away, but he kept tripping over the tight skirt of the kimono.


	16. Met My Future Sister-In-Law (Even if She Doesn't Know It Yet)

AKIRA'S POV

"You stick your pretty little neck into places where it don't belong, you gonna get hurt, missy."

I'm currently surrounded by a bunch of bandits. I'm about 3 days from the borders of Kouka and Hikari, but since I have to avoid main roads and towns, it takes a while. Otherwise, I would be in Kouka in a few hours.

I've reached the lands near the Ōkami Clan's capitol, Kawa. These forests are packed with thieves that steal money, women and children. Or at least they were packed. I've been in these forests for a day, and I've already handed over about three gangs of robbers. I didn't show myself to any guards though. I'd wait until they came around on patrol, then I'd just toss the tied up, bloodied, mostly conscious bandits in front of them. The soldiers tried to find me, but I just disappeared into the trees.

Which brings me to now.

A gang of about forty, rough looking men are surrounding me, some demanding money. But mostly, they are just...ogling me. The leader who stands in front of me, even while speaking, is darting appreciative looks up and down my body. It's disgusting, but quite honestly, I don't even care enough to beat them up.

*Sigh* "Look pal, I've had a long day, and I really don't want to use up anymore energy beating up a bunch of creeps." The leader, a man with a horrid smell and dirty face (let's call him Stinky Pits for now) just smirks and taps his knife against my cheek. "Well, you shoulda thought of that before you came here alone. You'd probably fetch a high price..." He reaches out to touch my hair, but suddenly-

BITE!

-is bitten by Ren's sharp little teeth. "AUGH!" Stinky Pits cradles his index finger, which is now sporting tiny droplets of blood. I roll my eyes. "I don't have the time to deal with someone who can't even handle a tiny fox. I'll be leaving now." Without even waiting for an answer, I walk past him towards the trees.

WHOOSH

I whip around, catching the fist aimed for my head mere inches from my nose. I smirk. "You probably shouldn't have done that." I squeeze the man's fist and SNAP! His fingers are crushed. "AAAAAHHHH!!!" The men are all shocked, but they rush at me. "DON'T TAKE US LIGHTLY!!!" Dozens of knives and daggers are pointed at me, but I just hold my spear out in front of me, an evil grin on my face.

I rush forward and swing my spear, slicing through the stomachs of the first wave of bandits.. The others are frightened by my speed, and scream, "BAKEMONO!!" (MONSTER!!) I frown and scratch my neck. "Well that's rude. How can you call such a beautiful woman a monster?" Thye respond by by running at me once more. "YOU STUPID LITTLE BI-"

I swing my spear. They stop yelling insults.

I look around at the bloodshed and carnage. Bodies with their stomachs cut open, blood pooling on the ground, gore freckling my weapon. I sigh. "How annoying." I wipe off the blood and gore from my spear with one of the men's scarves, and continue walking towards Kouka.

*some days later*

HAK'S POV

I yawn loudly. "Oi, Mother, it's almost sunset, can we set up camp now?" Yun sighs, not even possessing enough energy to yell at me. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll make dinner." My eyes fall on Yona, who's eyes are half closed and seems exhausted. I notice some dirt on her brow, and rub it off with my thumb. She flinches at my sudden action. "H-Hak...w-what are you..." "There was some dirt on your face, Princess." She flushes in embarrassment. "O-oh..."

Heh heh, she looks cute right now.

Unable to hold back, I add, "How are you ever going to get a husband if you can't even take care of yourself? What little femininity you had is gone, Princess." Yona's face darkens almost immediately. "HAK YOU BAKA!!!!" She chases me up a tree, trying to stab me with one of the daggers she'd stolen from Droopy Eyes. I call out to her, laughing. "You should take some lessons on beauty from Mother! She's prettier than you!" Yun joins in, trying to stab me with a kitchen knife. "OI!! I'M A BEAUTIFUL BOY GENIUS!!!! HERE YONA, TAKE THIS CLEAVER AND STAND ON MY SHOULDERS...!"

Uh oh. If she does that, she'll be able to stab me!!!

The four dragons busy themselves with setting up tents, pretending not to notice. Although, White Snake looks like he's aiming his dragon hand at me, and Droopy Eyes is mouthing, 'Stop Yona by kissing her!" I roll my eyes and look to Zeno and Shin-ah for help. Zeno is curled up in Shin-ah's fluff, and Shin-ha himself is asleep in one of the tents. Ao the tiny squirrel tosses me a chestnut for defense.

I groan and jump to the ground. Yona swings her cleaver at me-

CLANG!

It rings out against the blade of a large spear held in front of me by a cloaked figure. Yona, taken by surprise, is thrown backwards into Yun from the force of the attack. A clear female voice speaks. "As annoying as my older brother is, it'd be a pain if he was chopped in half by a cleaver."

Huh?

The figure turns around, and I see the familiar silver eyes that used to cry every time I was hurt.

Akira.

In seconds, Jae-ha and Kija have her surrounded. "WHO ARE YOU?!?! HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY MASTER!!!!" Kija yells angrily. My sister sighs. "Please, no more yelling." She removes her hood and looks at both dragons. Her beautiful features render Kija, Yun, and Yona speechless. Even Jae-ha seems shocked, which isn't his usual reaction to a pretty face. That usually involves me punching him in the head.

"I'm Akira, Hak's younger sister." Suddenly, a tiny fox peeks out from her hair, and scampers over to Ao. They both tilt their heads at one another. Then, Ao shoves an acorn at the tiny fox, who promptly bites it in half. Immediately, they become best friends.

Jae-ha is the first to recover, and immediately dons his perverted grin. "Hello, Akira dear. I'm Jae-ha, and might I say, you are even more beautiful than in the pictures I've seen." He attempts to kiss her hand, but ends up doing what looks like a face palm as my sister draws her hand back. "So, you're a flirtatious one, then?" He nods. "Why?" he asks, suddenly smiling creepily. Akira deadpans. "Nothing, I just hate people like you." Droopy Eyes gasps and goes into a corner, crying anime style.

Yona runs up to my sister. "Ehhh?!?! Hak, this is your sister? She's so pretty!" Akira gives the faintest of smiles. "I like her already." Yun walks up, looking confused. "Thunder Beast, what exactly is the age difference between you two? You guys are the same height!" (Hak is six feet tall as well) I grimace, noticing that fact too. "We're a year apart, but we aren't actually siblings. We looked after each other at a young age, and self declared that we were siblings. She didn't come with me when the old man adopted me, though." Akira answers quickly, "I wanted to be able to explore, not be cooped up in a palace with my destiny set out for me." I smirk at her. "But that's where you ended up anyway, right?" She glares at me, then speaks to Yona loudly. "So, you're the one my brother lov-" I smack my hand over her mouth. "Ahem! Akira, why exactly are you here?" I can feel her smirk and remove my hand.

"I wanted to visit my older brother. Only, I now see that he's hanging out with a droopy-eyed perv and a white snake." she gestures to Kija, who immediately fumes. Yun sweatdrops. "You two really are siblings." White Snake starts yelling. "HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY MASTER, AND THEN PROCEED TO CALL THE SACRED DRAGON A SNAKE?!?!?!?" Akira turns to him with a sigh. "Okay, first off, I did not attack her, I simply blocked her attack. Second, isn't it a bit sad that you call yourself the sacred dragon," She smirks at him. "When I, a seventeen year old girl, am taller than you?" (Kija is twenty, and five feet seven inches. POOR GUY!!)

Kija immediately flushes in embarrassment and backs off, while Yona starts yelling. "EHHHH!?!? How can you be only a year older than me, and be so tall and look so mature?!?" she stands next to my sister, who's curves are unfairly exaggerated next to the Princess's small body. (Yona is only a little bit more than five feet, and is called cute, whereas Akira is referred to as beautiful, or in the rare case of an extremely bold male, sexy. POOR PRINCESS!!)

Akira gives an awkward laugh. "Well, I think you're lucky. I haven't met many men who are as tall or taller than me, and you have really cute features. You must have a lot of admirers. Some men find me scary." And for good reason, I think to myself. My sister can be violent on the inside, and look innocent on the outside. She's also silver-tongued and cunning, which is a dangerous combination. But she can be sincere when she wants to be. I think.

Yona blushes from the compliments. "Really? You think I'm cute?" My sister nods good-naturedly. "Oh, yes. You have large, intelligent eyes, and radiant crimson hair. I don't have those things." Yona shakes her head. "Oh no, you have really pretty, almond shaped eyes that are the color of molten silver! They are very beautiful, and your hair is glossy and wavy, not frizzy at all!" Akira smiles, and I pull her aside. "Why are you here, really?" I whisper. She gives me a look, and I know not to ask in front of others. "Well, why don't you stay for the night?" Yun suggests. Akira nods, and turns away from me.

My little sister is here to visit, and whatever the reason may be, it's not a good one.

1\. Ren and Ao were really chatting it up, with a lot of 'Pkyuu' and 'Yip yip' Suddenly, Eclipse swooped down towards them and landed right in front of them. She gave them a sinister smile, like Now I have TWO things to eat.

Ren and Ao didn't get a lot of sleep that night.

2\. Jae-ha eventually recovered, and attempted to convince Akira to let him guard her. However, as soon as he tried to hug her, Hak almost sliced his head off. Jae-ha backed off, but he made it clear that he wouldn't give up by pecking Akira on the cheek. He got punched into the sky by her, where Eclipse almost clawed him to death.

3\. Zeno introduced himself to Akira by glomping her for a hug, Shin-ah's fluff and all. Akira finally managed to shove him off, but she couldn't believe that such a bubbly, bright boy was the same age as her. And when Yun handed her a bowl of stew for dinner, she smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Yun." He immediately blushed, called her an idiot, and ran off so that no one could see him hyperventilating from being treated so kindly by a beautiful girl that was two years older than him. Akira immediately deduced that he was a tsundere.


	17. Reunited With My Ex...Roommate

AKIRA'S POV

I lie awake in the tent, next to Yona, who is in a deep sleep. I think back to what my brother and his friends told me earlier

***

"So, where are you guys going, anyway?"

"We're heading off to see Ik-soo, the priest. We have some questions to ask him."

***

I rub my eyes, unable to fall asleep. I sit up, and decide that some fresh air might do me good. I quietly step out of the tent to see Hak & Jae-ha, who were supposed to be on guard duty, fast asleep. Idiots. What, are THEY becoming Kasumi now?

I sit down against one of the trees and stare up at the bright moon, large and imposing in the clear night sky. I sigh, lean my head back, and close my eyes, listening to the wind.

SHIN-HA'S POV

"A new child has been born, with the eyes of the Seiryuu (Blue Dragon)."

"What of the mother?"

"...she killed herself."

"Quickly, put on the mask, before his powers awaken."

***Four years later***

"Um...can I...watch?"

"AAHHHHH!!! It's the monster! RUN!!!!"

"SEIRYUU! I've told you not to go outside so much!!"

"But, Ao...I want...friend..."

"AND DOES IT LOOK LIKE YOU'RE CLOSE TO MAKING ONE?!?!? HUH?!?!"

***

"I'm sorry, for leaving you all alone...I'm sorry."

"No, Ao...please speak to me...say anything...Ao..."

***Eight years later***

"I'm sorry...I can't stay here anymore."

***

GASP!

My eyes shoot open, my face beaded with sweat. Ao is asleep next to me, nestled in the fur I always wear. I almost don't spot the tiny white fox next to him. Where did he come from...?

I wipe the sweat of my forehead, and cover my eyes with my hands, my mask lying forgotten a few feet away.

I'm a monster, but she said she's one too...when will I see her again?

I sense someone outside, and go out to look, forgetting my mask. I spot a girl sleeping against a tree, but she senses me in a second and opens her eyes.

I see familiar silver pools, and my breath catches in my throat.

"You..."

She stares at me for a second, then smiles thinly. "Good to see your eyes again, Seiryuu." Her voice throws me back into the past once more. This time, into a place with rare happy memories.

***Six years ago***

I rest against one of the cave walls after practicing my sword fighting technique. I sigh, the crushing loneliness of these dark hallways weighing on my mind. The villagers are all further towards the entrance of the mountain, while I'm confined to a few secret, hidden corridors.

My head snaps up, sensing someone new entering the mountain. I use my powerful eyes to see through my mask, and the thick layers of rock, until I come upon a young girl, maybe eleven or twelve years old. She's speaking to the elder, and she looks like she injured her arm, but her face is expressionless. She appears to be asking for help, but the elder seems to be shooing her away, telling her to leave. The girl turns towards the entrance, as if going, but suddenly darts into a tunnel on her right, running so fast that I can't follow her.

I scan the rest of the tunnels, searching for her. It's actually pretty easy, seeing as she leaves drops of blood from her arm wherever she goes.

In seconds, I panic to see that the girl is actually pretty close to where I am, having accidentally gone through the hidden door to this section of the tunnels. I hurriedly stand up to leave, but my foot shifts a rock, making a scraping sound. "Hello?" a bold voice calls out. "Is someone there? Can you help me?" I almost sigh, and back away slowly, but she suddenly appears from the darkness, and out of instinct, I swing my sword at her head.

CLANG!

She blocks it with a small dagger, but winces as the impact jostles her wounded arm. I speak softly. "Who...are you...why...are you here?" Her face is mostly covered by her hood and messy black hair, but I can tell that she's a little annoyed. "I'm an injured eleven year old girl who wants somewhere to stay for the night and treatment for my wound. I also don't appreciate strange blunettes attacking me with swords, so drop the blade." (Blunette=blue haired, cuz he has blue hair...and blue and brunette...get it...okay, I'll stop)

I'm slightly surprised at how fearlessly she's speaking, and lower my weapon. She glances around the small room. "So, based on your lack of decor, I'm going to assume that you don't have any bandages. Or food, for that matter." She reaches into the bag slung over her shoulder, and pulls out a small package wrapped in leaves, and a canteen. Unwrapping the package, she reveals some small onigiri (Rice balls) and holds one out to me. When I hesitate to take it, she pouts slightly. "Oh come on, I'm a good cook, and you haven't even tried it yet. Don't judge me before you even eat!" I open my mouth to tell her that that wasn't what I meant, but can quickly tell that it wouldn't make a difference, so I simply take the onigiri. She smiles, and starts to eat one her self. I take a small bite, and within seconds, I have the entire thing devoured. The girl laughs. "It was that good, huh? Told you so. Here, have another one, you look like you need it more than I do." I don't hesitate to take another one, and while I'm eating that, she pulls a bowl and spoon out of the bag and pours some of what's in the canteen into it.

I stare, slightly puzzled, until a delicious smell hits my nostrils, and I threaten to drool. She sees this and smiles, holding the bowl out to me. "Go on, take it. I made it only a little bit before I arrived, so it's still a little warm." I take the bowl, and see that it contains a stew. I eat a small spoonful, and... 

...IT IS THE MOST AMAZING THING I HAVE EVER TASTED!!!

Sparkles and flowers are flying all around me as I devour the stew, and the girl stares in awe. "Whoa. I think that I actually see a halo above your head. Gosh, if my stew makes you this happy, what was your life like before this?"

I stop eating, and the spoon clatters to the cave floor. The girl winces, and I put down the bowl and scoot away slightly. In a second, I feel a small hand on my shoulder and comforting voice speaks softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything. You don't need to tell me anything." I turn to look at her, and for the first time, I see her full face. A sad smile and sparkling silver eyes. But, within those eyes, I see the look of someone who has seen many things, who was forced to grow up too quickly.

She takes her hand off my shoulder, and I feel cold all of a sudden. "You can have the rest of the stew, and I won't ask anymore questions. My name is Akira, by the way, what's yours?" I pick up the bowl once more. "I...have no name...just...Seiryuu..." The girl, or I suppose, Akira, looks surprised for a second, but then she smiles. "Then, is it alright if I give you one?"

I stare at her, slightly confused. "You want...to give me a name?" She nods. "Of course. Everyone should have a name, no matter who they are. But, I can't think of any right now for you. I'm sorry. But, I'll probably be here for a while until my arm heals, so I have plenty of time." I'm truly surprised. No one has ever been so eager, so kind and wanting to help me, not even Ao, the previous Seiryuu. She's smiling at me, a smile full of warmth.

Akira gently takes the bowl from my hands, wipes it out with a cloth, and tucks it into her bag. She then turns to me, and frowns. "Aren't you cold? You're only wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Do you want my cloak?" I look at her, and finally realize how cold I feel, on the outside and on the inside, as if the cave walls have sucked away any warmth. I shake my head. "No...you will get cold..." She waves away my concerns. "No worries! I'm tough!" Akira drapes her black cloak over my shoulders. "Arigato...Akira."

Akira. It's my first time saying her name out loud, and it feels nice, in a way. She smiles at me, one that reaches her eyes, but it is quickly wiped away. Her arm has started bleeding even more, and she is growing paler by the second. "Ah..." She falls to her knees, clutching her arm, and I start to panic. She speaks quietly. "I ran out of bandages...and that old geezer out there refuses to help..." I grimace at her pain, and throw the cloak back over her. "Wait...here..." I run out of the room, through the tunnels, until I reach the outer rim of the mountains, where the villagers stay.

They all pale in fear at the sight of me, and I speak slowly, my voice raspy from years of disuse. "Bandages...I need them...now..." The woman who stores medical supplies yells at me, clearly frightened. "G-GO AWAY YOU MONSTER!!! WHY SHOULD WE HELP YOU?!?!?" For once in my life, I start to feel angry at them, for not helping me, and my tone goes cold. "Bandages...I need bandages now. AND YOU. WILL. GIVE THEM TO ME." The woman winces at my harsh tone, and throws a roll of bandages at me, yelling. "FINE!! HERE, TAKE THEM!!!" The roll knocks off my mask, and my eyes are revealed.

The villagers all gasp and back away. "He-he'll kill us!" I close my eyes, pick up my mask and the roll, and walk away, ignoring the frightened stares burning into my back. I put on my mask once more, not wanting Akira to see my eyes.

I arrive back at the room, where Akira is laying against the wall, keeping her arm elevated. I walk towards her, and tell her to hold out her arm. She does, and I attempt to wrap it up, but the bandages keep slipping off. After a few tries, she quietly asks, "Um, Seiryuu, do you need me to do it?" My face burns under my mask, and I quickly shake my head. Suddenly...

"Heh...ahaha!"

Akira's laughing. The sound fills the cave with warmth, and for a second I'm mesmerized. "Seiryuu, it's sweet of you to try so hard, but I can do it, no worries." I flush, and quietly hand over the bandages. "Sorry...I can't help..." She shakes her head. "No, you've done plenty. You got me bandages and talked to me and kept me company. I couldn't ask for more. You are like a light in all this darkness..." Akira pauses for a second, mulling something over. Then she lifts her head, a grin spreading across her face. "Shin-ha." I stare, surprised. "Shin-ha. That's your new name. It means moonlight. You are my moonlight. You are my Shin-ha."

Shin-ha...I'm Shin-ha now...

She gave me a name...I will cherish it.

*Time skip to a year later*

For the past year, she's stayed with me in the mountains. She said she usually doesn't risk staying in any one place for so long, but she also doesn't want to leave me alone. But she always asks me to take off my mask, so that she can see my face.

"My eyes...are cursed..." I told her, when she first came here. "They kill people...so I hide them with a mask..." At this, she smiled sadly and said, "That's okay. I've killed people. Many times, of my own choice. I'm cursed too, I'm a monster too. You're not alone. I'm your friend now." I tilted my head in confusion. "...Friend...?" she nodded. "Yes, after all, monsters need to stick together right?" I was quiet, and then spoke. "...Arigato."

Ao...would you laugh at me if I told you that I made a friend? Someone who I didn't have to hide in front of?

I can't even remember...the face of the person that I loved so much.

For once, I actually have a reason to smile. Akira is cheerful, and she is never afraid to voice her feelings. She stays with me no matter what, and is not selfish in any way. Not to mention, her cooking is amazing. However, today, that all changed.

"Shin-ha, I'm sorry but...I can't stay here anymore." I'm scared. Is she leaving? Why? "Why...?" Her bangs hide her face as she speaks. "I can't stand those villagers, who are cruel to you every single day. I hate that you have to live in a cave because of them. I'm leaving, and I want you to come with me." I'm silent, and I shake my head, backing away. "...no...no one can know about me..." Akira gives me a pleading look. "You aren't a monster Shin-ha. You never were, and you never will be. Please, you can leave all of this behind, you can be happy...!"

I shake my head again. "No...I can't..." Her face falls. "I...I can't convince you?" Before I can answer, she pulls her hood over her eyes. "...okay...okay...!"

Akira...is crying.

I frown, not wanting to see her tears, and hating myself for being the cause of them, and I pull her into a hug. She cries into my shoulder, and I run the risk of crying as well. I don't want her to leave, but I don't want to make her stay here either, in this dark cave, because of me.

She draws back suddenly, a determined look in her eyes. What? She raises her hand, and-

WHACK!

-slaps my mask, knocking it away, revealing my eyes. I'm too shocked to do anything, and she takes my face in her hands, staring at my eyes. No! I want to scream. DON'T LOOK!

The silver eyes meet the gold, and Akira smiles sadly. "Your eyes are so pretty, Shin-ha. I'm glad I got to see them at least once." She pulls away reluctantly, and picks up her things. I hold out my hand to stop her, abandoning my mask, but she shakes me off. "Wait..." She stares at me for a second, then leans forward, kisses me softly on the cheek, and murmurs quietly. "I'm sorry for leaving you all alone. Goodbye, Shin-ha." She turns around and runs into the darkness, tears splashing onto the cave floor.

My hand is still outstretched, reaching for her as she runs away, even though I know I can't touch her. I cover my face with my hands, not wanting to see her leave. I lie down on the ground, crying silently to myself.

I lie down on the ground, crying silently to myself

The loneliness invades my mind once more.

***back to present time***

AKIRA'S POV

I stare at the blue haired boy in front of me, with the golden eyes. I haven't seen him in so long, but I don't know what to say. Instead, I just quietly wave.

WHUMPF!

I'm startled as he suddenly rushes at me, enveloping me in a hug, tears spilling from his eyes. His face is buried in the crook of my neck as tears spill down his face. For a second, I don't say anything, but I slowly wrap my arms around his back, and hug him back.

We stay like that until morning.

Uh oh, Kai has some competition here...

1\. Unknown to Akira and Shin-ha, Yona was watching them hug each other. She told Zeno about it in the morning, and they have now formed the Shinra shipping club. (Is Shinra what the name would be?) Unfortunately, Eclipse, who is still a hardcore Akirai shipper, now hates Yona, Zeno, and Shin-ha, and Ren, who actually approves of Shin-ha and agrees to build the ship, now have even more reasons to hate each other. Ao the squirrel (pronounced OW, not AYYYEEE OHHH!) also supports the ship, so now he and Ren plan to somehow set up the two 'soulmates'

2\. Unfortunately, when Hak woke up and saw the Blue Dragon hugging his little sister, he went into OVERPROTECTIVE OLDER BROTHER mode, and nearly tore off Shin-ha's beautiful head with his bare hands. Jae-ha and Kija both had to hold him back and tie him to a tree. They dumped buckets of water on his head in order to snap him out of it, and while he is calm now, Hak made sure that wherever Akira was walking in the group, Shin-ha was on the opposite side.

3\. Jae-ha saw Akira and Shin-ha together, and a bit later, he started to teach Shin-ha the basic principles of flirting. Unfortunately for him (Hah, this ship is really bringing on a series of unfortunate events. OHHHHHH!!!) Akira saw both of them, and almost stabbed Jae-ha to death for nearly tainting our beloved Shinahmon roll's innocent and pure mind.


	18. Dammit, This Means I Have to Fulfill My Destiny, Doesn't It?

I do not own the Yona of the Dawn characters, or any part of that story that is implemented into mine.

KAI'S POV

CRACK!

The arrow slams into the tree, splintering the bark easily. A voice floats through my head.

You aren't using enough force. How will you ever learn archery if you hold back, little prince?

"UGH!" I throw my bow at the ground in frustration and slump against a tree, massaging my temples. Why can't I just forget her and move on?!?! She said that she wouldn't hesitate to kill me, that she doesn't care!

I picture her face, sparkling silver eyes, and that smirk that always graced her lips, one that had annoyed me for years. Or at least I thought it did.

"Some feelings run too deep to be forgotten," she murmurs quietly.

***

"AGH!" I sit up immediately, my head smacking into an overhead branch. "Ow... Was that a dream?"

"Oi, are you done sleeping in, Your Royal Worshipfullness?" An irk mark appears on my forehead at that irritating nickname that Yamato had given me, and I stand up, giving him a glare.

I stare up at the sky, sensing a vague disturbance.

Something will happen today.

AKIRA'S POV

We stand outside of a small house hidden deep within the woods. (The story goes after they find Zeno, and they meet Ik-su to talk about the sword & shield) I give a small yawn, and glance at Yun, who's face is glowing with excitement. "Oh Mother, are you really that excited about seeing your beloved priest again?" An irk mark appears on his forehead, and he chases me around the clearing, yelling angrily. "I AM NOT ANY OF YOUR MOTHERS!!! YOU ARE ALL MUCH TOO UGLY TO BE MINE!!!!"

At this, I stop abruptly and turn around, a playful pout on my lips, my eyes sparkling. "Aww, Yun, you don't think I'm cute?" He flushes and mutters something unintelligible, but I catch the word 'baka' (Idiot). Behind me, I hear a whistle of delight, and suddenly, Jae-ha puts his arms around my shoulders from behind. "I wouldn't mind if you gave me that look, Aki dear~" I immediately punch him in the face, sending him rocketing across the clearing. "Shut it, you." (Akira decided to be nice and let the gang call her Aki.)

Jae-ha staggers and stands up, a creepy smile on his face. "That hurt...but it felt so good..." I spit at him, disgusted. "Keep your clothes on, Droopy Eyes." I turn around to see Hak sending evil looks at both Yun & Jae-ha, so I sidle up to him and whisper in his ear, "I don't think you need to worry about Mother as much as Jae-ha, big bro." Yona steps up and asks, "Hmm? Worry about who?" I back away from Nii-san (older brother) and smile innocently at Yona. "I was just telling Hak that he should be worried about being too late to confessing to you. Or you to him."

"Ehh?" Yona looks confused for a moment, but then her face turns red enough to rival her hair. "EHHHHH?!??!? W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, AKI-CHAN!?!?! I-I DON'T-" I cut her off. "Sure you don't. Jeez, you two need some alone time. Maybe for an hour. Or four. Or the rest of us could just leave you be for a whole night. Is that long enough?"

"Little sister dear~" "Hmm?" I turn to Hak, and immediately catch the fist he sends flying at my face. As he strains to break my grip, I grin. "My my, Hak. The princess will never return your feelings with that kind of temper. You'll scare her away." "An irk mark appears on his forehead, and Hak runs after me, swinging at me with his spear while I skip away in front of him playfully. Yona is in a flustering, stuttering mess, Jae-ha and Kija are admiring my daring, Zeno is cheering for me (Run like the wind, miss!) and Shin-ha's expression is as blank as ever. However, I catch sight of Yun's face, and shout out a warning to the others. "COVER YOUR EARS~!"

"BE QUIET, YOU NOISY BEASTS!!!!!"

Everyone freezes, sweat on their foreheads and nervous looks on their faces. I just laugh internally, at how red Yun's face is and how annoyed he seems. His light blue eyes are dark with anger & irritation, kind of like how Kai would look if I ever let an insult slip past my lips.

Hmm, I wonder how they're all doing? Have they tried to win back the kingdom yet?

A voice interrupts my thoughts. "Enough fooling around! We're here to see Ik-su, so let's just go already!"

We all sigh and nod, and step inside the small home. We are greeted by the sight of an enormous mess. "How could a cyclone hit in here but not outside?" I murmur quietly. Suddenly, I step on something soft, and a cough sounds out. "Huh?" I look below me to see a pale hand, connected to a nearly unconscious young man, who is bleeding from his head and from several scratches on his face and arms. "Yun? Your dear priest looks pretty messed up." Mother immediately rushes over, and his eyes widen at the man. "Oi! Ik-su! Speak, what happened?!" Ik-su coughs once more. "Yun...I'm sorry. I forgot to eat for a few days, then I tripped and hit my head." I take a glance at Yun's face, who looks increasingly angry.

***magic skip of time***

"Whew! I narrowly escaped death!" Ik-su says cheerfully outside, after being treated by Yun and eating some food.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT, YOU STUPID PRIEST!!! HOW WILL YOU CARRY ON WITH NORMAL LIFE IF YOU'RE ON THE VERGE OF STARVING AND YOU SERIOUSLY HURT YOURSELF FROM FALLING DOWN?!?!? YOU REALLY CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME HERE!!! YOU'RE TOO MUCH OF A PAIN!!! JUST GO BACK TO THE HEAVENS!!!"

"Hooray!" Ik-su cheers. "I missed Yun's angry voice!" I nearly facepalm in exasperation.

"Ik-su, it's good to see you again!" Yona sounds excited as she gathers the group all around her. I stay in the back, not really sure if I can count myself as an important member yet. "My, you've gathered quite a group," the priest comments. Zeno notices I'm missing, and pulls me to the front of the group. "The other miss too! The other miss too!" I stare unflinchingly down at the priest, who raises his eyebrows in shock. "Even getting the Chosen One of the Winter Dragon to be your ally? You surprise me, Hime-sama" (princess)

I hold up my hand. "Whoa whoa whoa. Gonna stop you right there, clumsy god guy. What was that about the Winter Dragon?" Everyone else looks confused as well, so Ik-su starts explaining. "You are familiar with the tale, correct?" I nod, remembering the book I read in the library of Hinode Palace.

If you forget the story, go back to chapter six

"Oh no, what a horrible ending..." Yona murmured sadly. I'm still confused. "What does all of that have to do with Akira?" Kija inquires. Ik-su looks serious. "The legend is not entirely true. The Winter Dragon didn't completely die on the mountain. A small part of her lived, but this part suffered great torment & agony due to the curse the Summer Dragon inflicted. The Summer Dragon lived as well, but he was trapped in sorrow & anger. They both wished deeply to see each other again, though for different reasons. The Winter Dragon to win back the heart of her former lover, the Summer Dragon to destroy her, whom he believed was nothing more than a cold, bitter creature filled with hatred & lies." I roll my eyes. "I guess that kinda sounds like me. But I still don't get it."

Ik-su starts to explain patiently. "The Winter Dragon is determined to see her lover once more, so she is coming back to the mortal realm. The Summer Dragon doesn't wish to come back, but since the Winter Dragon, an extremely powerful being, is returning, it would greatly tip the balance of nature, and could potentially destroy the Earth. In order to keep this balance, the Summer Dragon must come back as well. Since they are no longer in perfect harmony with each other, though, the weather will become harsher. Currently, it is summer, when the Winter Dragon is at its weakest, and the Summer Dragon its strongest. The heat might get even more severe, although it might not be too bothersome, as the Autumn Phoenix and Spring Griffin will prevent too strong of an energy output."

My head is spinning, my eyes are practically rolling in my head. "Wait, so how does this affect me? Why is all this happening now? Where are the others? Who's-" Ik-su holds up his hand to stop my rambling. "Listen. Unlike the Crimson Dragon and the Four Dragon Warriors," he gestures to Yona and the group, excluding Hak & Yun. "These four beings are universal. What they do affects the entire world, not just one place. They are not reincarnated in anyway, and they do not have any bloodline that has been going for generations. The arrival of the Chosen Ones is unprecedented. None of the beings know when it will happen, other than the fact that they will all be born around the same time, around the same place. These four Chosen Ones are the only people deemed worthy of the power of the beings. Once one of the Chosen is given their power, by means unknown, The rest of the Chosen will automatically receive their powers, in order to keep the balance. Before this happens, the spirit of the beings, one to each of the Chosen, will stay near the Chosen One of their choice, guiding them, keeping them safe from harm. This spirit disappears once the complete powers have been transferred, but the powers themselves remain a mystery."

At first, I think that he's insane, that I should casually walk out, then run away forever, but somewhere in that lengthy explanation, something clicks.

"Um, guys, can you leave? I have to speak to the priest alone." Everyone looks confused, but Yona sees the urgency in my eyes, and hustles everyone out of the house.

I turn back to the priest. "Ik-su, you said that a spirit of the being will stay with the Chosen until they are given their powers? He nods. "And the summer is when the Winter Dragon is weak, and the Summer Dragon is strong?" Ik-su nods once more, unsure where I'm going with this. I swallow nervously and continue. "If the spirit of the Summer Dragon went into combat with the spirit of the Winter Dragon, through their Chosen Ones, would it try and destroy the Winter Dragon, along with the Chosen One of the Winter Dragon?" Ik-su's eyes narrow. "Akira, what happened to you?" I hesitantly tell him about what happened when Kai and I had a battle back at the palace. How insane his eyes looked, how I could barely fight against him, how he seemed to lose himself.

Ik-su goes into thought for a moment, but then he nods. "Based on what you've told me, yes, I would say that Prince Sato Kaito is the Chosen One of the Summer Dragon." My heart clenches. No. No, this can't be right. I can't see him again. I won't. I can't love him, or anything about him. I can't. Not to save the world. I can't. Not when I swore never to care for someone in that way.

I sigh. "What about the others? The Autumn Phoenix and Spring Griffin?" Ik-su taps his chin. "Once they receive their powers, they will most likely seek out the Summer Dragon to aid in his quest." I groan. "Great. Now I'll have three psychotic maniacs on my tail."

Suddenly, the door crashes inward, revealing Yona, who's on top of Zeno, who's on top of Shin-ah, who's on top of Hak, who's on top of Jae-ha, who's on top of Yun, who's on top of Kija. My eyebrows twitch in annoyance. "Eavesdropping? Oh, you are so dead." I take out my spear menacingly, about to give them all buzz cuts, when Ik-su gasps. "Your spear!" I glance at it. "What about it?" He points to the dragon on the blade. "That dragon. It proves that it's the spear of the Winter Dragon." I stare at the curling dragon on the blade, the little tassel on the edge, the open mouth of a dragon that connects the shaft to the metal. 

"Does that mean something?" Ik-su looks deep in thought. "To have the original weapon is unheard of. It is thousands of years old, after all. Perhaps the Winter Dragon cares more for you than I thought."

I hold my spear closer, and trace my index finger across the swerving dragon, the cool metal feeling even colder against my skin.

BA-DUMP!

My eyes widen, and I go to my knees on the ground, my limbs suddenly frozen, my breath in my throat. I can vaguely hear the others shouting, but that soon fades away into black.

***

I open my eyes to find myself kneeling outside of a cave on a high mountaintop. Wind and snow blows all around me, but I don't feel bothered. Instead, I feel something pulling me into the cave, as though I'm meant to be there. I slowly step inside the cave, and what I see shocks me.

A form is slumped against the wall, flickering between a large silver dragon, and a young woman who resembles...me.

She smiles as I approach, her appearance somewhat stabilizing into that of a young woman. "Hello, Chosen One." I stare in shock. "Are-are you the Winter Dragon?" She nods. "Yes, but please call me Yuki." I step slightly closer, and sit down before her. She fondly strokes my cheek, and although human contact usually freaks me out, I don't feel the urge to pull away.

"You've gone through so much, little one. All your trials & tribulations prove that you are worthy of greatness. Now I ask for your help. I assume Ik-su has already told you everything." I nod. "Hey, how'd he even know all that stuff anyway?" Yuki winks. "Dreams can be very informative." She sits up slightly. This time, she looks sympathetic.

"You do not like having your path laid out for you. You have your own rules, you will not be held or owned by anyone. You prefer freedom to others' protection, and you are not close to many." She smiles at me again. "You are like a snowstorm. Unbridled, capable of destroying anything and everything in your path. You are cold to the touch, but warmth shown to you by others is melting your icy shell, is it not?" I try to protest, but I stop. Hak, Shin-ha, Yona, everyone...just being around them has changed me. I recall how much I cried when I had to leave Shin-ha, how much I was willing to sacrifice in order to make sure Hak, my big brother, survived. Everyone else, they all slowly wormed their way into my heart, even only after a couple days, but I've been too blind to see it. I slowly nod. "Yeah...I guess I have melted a bit."

Yuki grins at me. But it disappears quickly. "Do you understand what you must do? You must let me meet with my love once more, to speak with him. You must clear up the misunderstandings with Aki & Haru, as well." I raise my eyebrows in confusion, but realization sets in. The Autumn Phoenix & the Spring Griffin, Aki no hōō & Haru no gurifin. Guess they must've shortened their names.

I nod. "I understand. But, how will I find them? I don't want to leave Yona and the others." Yuki shakes her head. "They will find you. You must continue as you see fit." She touches my forehead and frowns. "You've already been exposed to one of my memories. Only, it was changed to meld with yours."

Oh right. That memory I had before Kai and I fought. Of the person who said that they'd never leave me. I wince. "Was...was that the Summer Dragon speaking to you?" Yuki smiles sadly. "Yes, it was."

I steel myself at this revelation. I will help her, I will do this. She senses my resolve and smiles. "Good. The others will receive their powers at the same time as you, as well. When I give you my power, I will be gone from this mountain. I will be purely a spirit, living in the back of your mind, guiding you. Although, most of your choices you will make on your own. I will not speak to you too often." I nod, ready to take whatever comes.

Yuki takes my right hand, closes her eyes, and murmurs a few unintelligible words. Immediately, I feel a searing pain wrapping around my arm, and I start screaming in pain.

YONA'S POV

Aki-chan's curled up form suddenly starts screaming loudly. "AGGHHH!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!" We all jump up from our places around her in worry. I reach out to touch her arm, to get her to wake up, but I'm blasted backwards by a powerful force. Luckily, Hak catches me before I hit the wall, but we can't approach Akira. She continues to yell and cry out, her eyes squeezed shut.

How can I help her? Crimson Dragon, please guide me!

YAMATO'S POV

Kai collapsed a few minutes ago, but we don't know what's wrong. We are currently deep within the woods around the mountains, so there is no one around for a while. We don't have anywhere to go for help.

Suddenly, Kai starts yelling, as if he was in pain. "ARRRGGGGHHHH!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!" Kasumi races to his side, but sensing danger, I pull her back. "Wait! Don't go near him!"

We watch in silence as a large golden dragon wraps its body around Kai's entire right arm, streaks of his hair turning gold as well.

What on earth...?

???'S POV

I stare at my bare back in the mirror. A large, burning red phoenix gleams on my skin. Rusty red & orange highlights streak through my blond hair, and I stroke my chin in thought. Eighteen year old guys don't normally get tattoos out of nowhere, right? I stare at phoenix a little more. Just the phoenix, not my impressive muscles or handsome face or anything like that. Just the phoenix.

I remember that red haired youth I conversed with in that vision a few minutes ago. Find the Summer Dragon. Atone for my sins. The fate of the world depends on this.

I sigh, and pull on a shirt. I can feel a gold light pulsing in a corner of my vision, drawing me towards it. I may as well go, living alone in the wilderness is kinda boring anyway. There's no one around to tell me how great I am. Not that I need confirmation, I just like hearing people say it.

Guess I'd better start packing my bags for the long, unexplained trip ahead.

A DIFFERENT ???'S POV

I wince as Honoka (Ho-know-kah) touches the dark green, half lion, half bird on my back. "Ouch! Stop that! It stings!" My girlfriend pulls back. "Ah! Sorry! It's just, that thing is kinda weird..." She ruffles my silver hair, which is now streak with the same shade of green. "Although your hair looks pretty cool now. What did that green-haired guy say in your head, again?" (Note, this is in no way related to the Green Dragon from AkaNoYona)

I recall what he said. "Um...I think it was...Seek out the Summer Dragon, apologize on my behalf...something along those lines." Honoka raises her eyebrows. "Isn't the Summer Dragon part of that old myth?" I nod, and turn my attention to one of the windows. "I sort of feel something from over there. Like some warm, golden light." I feel an inexplicable pull towards it. "I think I'll go find it." I stand up, pull on a shirt and jacket, and start stuffing supplies into a bag. My girlfriend watches me shocked.

"What?! You're just leaving! You can't! You just got here! You come over, tell me some weird mark appears on your back, and you leave?!?! You don't even know if it's going to be dangerous or not! What if..." Her voice softens abruptly and I turn towards her. "Wh-what if you get killed? What if you meet some other girl on your trip?" I shake my head. "First off, do I really seem like the type of guy who's going to let just anything kill him? As for if I meet a girl..." I pull her into a hug. "If I meet one, I'll ignore any attempts of hers at flirting, and brag about what an awesome girlfriend I've got at home. Okay?" Honoka smiles and kisses me lightly. "Okay. I have your promise then. Oh, and one more thing." I tilt my head to the side. "Hmm?"

She grins evilly. "All these supplies you're taking from my house will cost you 5,000 ling."

"Awww, what?!? That's no fair!!"

AKIRA'S POV

My eyes shoot open, and I think I see smoke rising off my right arm, the sleeve burnt clear off. I groan, and stand up shakily. My vision clears, and I see everyone staring at me in shock.

"Hmm?? Somethin' wrong?" Jae-ha points to my arm. "Your arm...dragon..." Yona points to my hair. "Hair...blue..."

"Huh?" I hold my arm in front of me, and gasp at the large silver dragon curling around it, all the way up to my shoulder. It shines dully, and when I pull my hair in front of my face, I see that it's streaked with a midnight blue.

Yuki really took this whole, winter, nighttime dragon thing to heart.

1\. After recovering from shock, Kija challenged Akira to an arm-wrestling contest, to see if her dragon covered arm could match his actual dragon arm. Ignoring the protests of the others, Akira accepted, and they sat on opposite sides of a tree stump, clasping their right arms together. (Bonus: Yona had to gently remind Hak that arm-wrestling didn't completely count as holding hands) Everyone closed their eyes, unwilling to see Akira's arm snapped off, but they were shocked. With immense strength that she had never possessed before, Akira beat Kija easily, without any arm-snapping.

Kija spent the rest of the night crying about his loss of invincibility, as well as having to deal with Hak's comments. "Oh wow, Shirohebi-sama lost to a little girl, how sad. What's next, the tiny fox flipping you into the air?"

2\. Yona offered to braid Akira's hair so that she could equally mix the blue and black, but Akira refused. Then another blunette said softly, "I think...you would look...nice..." When Yona heard this, she, being a huge Shin-ra shipper, tackled Akira to the ground, forcing her to let her get her hair braided. When it was done, and Akira showed it to Shin-ha, he flushed slightly under his mask and turned away.

If Yona had a smartphone back then, she would've been tapping the camera button a mile per minute. And then saving them to a groupchat that was called, "S.S. Shin-ra" which would be comprised of Zeno, Kija, Yona, and Ik-su, who had just recently joined.


	19. What Time Is It? Bonus Time!

Note that this takes place before they reach Ik-su's house. The group is a little near the village Kija grew up in. Enjoy!

HAK'S POV

I give a large yawn. It's currently nighttime, and I'm on watch, along with Droopy Eyes, who fell asleep almost three minutes after being assigned.

I lean back against a tree, scanning the grounds for anyone or anything suspicious. Two tents have been set up, Akira, Yona, and Yun in one, everyone else in the other.

I'm debating on whether to toss a nearby centipede onto White Snake's face while he's asleep, when one of the bushes nearby rustle lightly. I barely look at it, as I know that Ren & Ao have a habit of sneaking out at night, to look for food. However, out of the corner of my eye, I spot something fall out of the bushes.

I hold my glaive (his spear) in front of me, carefully approaching the object. I can't examine it too clearly though, due to the lack of light.

"Huh...is this...some sort of doll...?"

timeskippity skip

AKIRA'S POV

I sit up, yawning, and crawl out of the tent, my eyes burning from the morning light. Everyone else is still asleep, even Jae-ha. Well, maybe him being asleep is actually a good thing.

I notice a pile of blue near a bush, and when I walk closer to it...

"What the...these are Hak's clothes! And his spear! Where did he go? Hak? Hak!"

The mound of clothing moves suddenly, and out from the folds pops a tiny head.

"Huh? What happened? Akira, when did you get so tall?"

I stare in silence at the familiar little boy wrapped in my older brother's clothes.

...

...

...

"AAAHHHHHH!!!! WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO ME!?!?!?!?!???!"

small timeskip

I rustle Hak's hair as he crouches in a pile of cloth. "Older brother, you seem different. New haircut?"

"URUSAI!!! (Shut up) I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!! ALL I REMEMBER IS SEEING SOMETHING IN THE BUSH, THEN I FELL ASLEEP!!!"

I sigh, and turn to Yun. "Oi, Mother, are his clothes ready yet?"

"Hai (yeah) he can put on some clothes that actually fit him now."

He tosses a plain, white robe like garment and I hand it to older brother (or maybe I should call him baby brother now) I turn around, as well as covering Yona's eyes and slapping Jae-ha.

"Yona, you shouldn't see a naked male, no matter how old they are. Jae-ha, keep this up and I'm going to dunk you in rabbit blood and throw you into a bear cave."

Jae-ha rubs the red mark on his face, and suddenly latches onto my back. "Don't be so jealous, Aki dear. You know I have eyes only for you."

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER, YOU DROOPY-EYED PIECE OF #$^&*(%^&!!!!!!"

Suddenly, little Hak is on Jae-ha's shoulders, smacking and punching him in the head. Jae-ha, however, doesn't seem to notice, and turns to me.

"Aki, I feel a breeze on my head."

"It's just a little bug in your hair, Jae-ha. Here, I'll help."

Without any effort, I grab tiny Hak by the scruff of his neck with one arm, lift him up, and set him back down on the ground. "Ah, the wind is gone," Jae-ha says nonchalantly. By this time, Hak is yelling at me too.

"DON'T REFER TO ME AS IF I'M A FLY!!!"

"I'm sorry, baby brother. You're right, a fly is much, much too large. I think that flea would suit you better."

"HAAAAAAHHHH?!??!?!?!"

I'm just ignoring him now, and turn to the others. "Is there any way we can get him back to normal? It'll be a pain if the Thunder Beast can't even protect Ao or Ren."

Yun scratches his head. "I don't know what's happened to him. This clearly isn't something I can treat." Yona looks at Hak, and says thoughtfully, "He looks like his eight-year old self." Suddenly, she goes over to him and pats him on his head. "I never realized how cute you were back then!"

"Wha-? Uh..." Hak's face is flushed pink, and he stands awkwardly as Yona continues to pat his head, her eyes sparkling.

Grinning evilly, I walk up to her and nudge her with my elbow. "If his child form is cute, what word would you use to describe his eighteen year old self?" Yona opens her mouth to reply, then her face turns bright pink and she turns away. "U-uh Yun! Is there any food left?" I turn to my brother, who's still red and flustered. "Man, you've got it bad."

Kija speaks up while I use one finger to hold back Hak's angry, flailing form. "We are near my old village. Grandmother might know something about this, we can ask her." I nod. "That sounds good. You think she'll be able to help?" Kija shrugs. "We won't know unless we try."

Everyone starts packing things up, and I suddenly realize something. "Hak, you won't be able to keep up with those short legs of yours. Hey, Kija, do you mind carrying him?" Hak visibly panics, but Kija replies agreeably. I whisper to Hak. "If you complain, I will make Kija hold you with his dragon fist, instead of you on his shoulders." He turns pale, and nods.

Once all of our belongings are packed, Jae-ha is holding Hak's glaive, and the flea is sitting on White Snake's shoulders, we head off in the direction of the village of Hakuryuu. (White dragon)

timeskip

I squint my eyes to peer through the heavy fog. I volunteered to scout ahead, so the others are still behind. Suddenly, a chorus of voices sounds out from the trees.

Leave! LEAVE!

I hold my spear in front of me, but before I can clear the fog, something sharp stings my neck. I reach up and pull out a small needle, but my legs start to give out, and my vision goes fuzzy, before I can see only black.

timeskip

My eyes slowly open, and my vision clears a little. I try to reach a hand up to wipe my eyes, but I find that both my hands and legs are bound tightly with chain. The surface beneath me is cool and smooth. I manage to speak a few small words.

"Hah? A cage?"

A man dressed in garments similar to Kija's slams on the bars. "Quiet! Our elder shall decide what to do with you!" I look around to see that I'm outside, in a village. Most likely Kija's village, but that only makes them even more dangerous. Kija told me about how secretive and protective the town was.

I spot my spear and the rest of my belongings lumped beneath a tree. Ren stayed with Yona, so he can't help me now. Eclipse can't risk approaching without being shot by an arrow.

By this time, my strength has returned, and I'm fully aware of what is happening. I scowl. "This cage is annoying. Excuse me..." Before the guard can move-

BLAM!!

-I've kicked out one side of the bars. I crawl out, wrenching my arms apart to break the chains. I jump in a split to snap the chains on my ankles, while a number of warriors surround me. Although they look angry, they also look amazed. "How could she do that?!?! That was one of our strongest metals!" I raise my fists, ready to fly at them bare-handed, when a voice calls out.

"Akira! There you are!"

I turn to see the rest of the group being received respectfully by the villagers. "Oh come on! You guys weren't put in a cage?!?"

I feel the ground vibrating beneath me, and barely have time to sidestep before an tiny old lady held up on a platform by four girls stampedes towards the group. "HAKURYUU-SAMAAAAA!!" she yells in a raspy voice. "YOU FINALLY CAME BACK! And you brought all the other dragons with you? My!" Her gaze sweeps over the rest of the group, until it falls on Hak, who's still sitting on Kija's shoulders. "Eh, who is this child...?" She suddenly freezes, glancing at Kija's eyes, the Hak's, both pairs an almost identical shade of sapphire blue. She then examines my brother's deep black hair, looks back at me, focusing on my own ebony ponytail. (A/N This happens before she gets her powers and stuffs) Suddenly, she blows up at Kija.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!??!?!?!?! YOU GOT MARRIED TO THIS GIRL AND HAD A CHILD THIS OLD!??!!?"

The entire group, including me, stutters out,

"EHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!?!?!???!??!"

time-you know what, you know what I mean by now

We sit cross-legged in front of the old woman, whom Kija introduced as his grandmother, and elder of Hakuryuu village. Kija and I explain quickly, tripping over our words, as everyone else sits behind us, wondering how we'll do. Hak sits in Yona's lap, slightly flushed and dazed. Earlier, he had been ready to throttle Grandmother (that's what we shall call her) and this was the only way to calm him down.

Kija speaks hastily. "No, don't jump to conclusions, O bāchan! (Grandma) I'm not married to Akira-" "-and this isn't our child!" I finish for him.

Grandmother strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Ah...I see. My bad." We both sigh in relief, until she perks up and says, "You both couldn't get married on the journey, but you still loved each other and wanted to have a family, so you adopted this boy! How sweet!"

Kija and I sweatdrop. Suddenly, Grandmother yells at a nearby guard. "YOU! GO TELL EVERYONE TO PREPARE A FEAST FOR THE WEDDING THAT IS TAKING PLACE!!!"

We both gasp. "No, wait-!" "You can't-" Grandmother waves us off. "Don't worry! I'll plan everything! You two just rest! You," she points at another guard. "Take them both to Lord Hakuryuu's room." she turns to us, a sly grin on her face. "I'm sure you want to be alone."

Kija blushes and starts stuttering. "Th-that's not-!" But before we know it, the guards have already shoved us both up the stairs, through the door, into the room, and slam the door closed. We both sit up from where we were tossed onto the floor and stare at each other nervously. What is Grandmother planning, and, more importantly, how is my brother reacting?

I notice a rip in Kija's white robe. "Oh, Kija, your clothes..." My voice fades out in shock as I spot four small sections of claw marks on his back, showing through the tear. "Wha...what happened...?" He sees where I'm looking, and simply smiles and shakes his head. "It's nothing. Don't concern yourself."

I raise my eyebrows in worry. However, I nod and make for the window. "I need to find that old lady and knock some sense into that wrinkly head of hers. Be right back." That said, I leap out the window, onto the branches of a tree outside. I climb down, and start to look around for everyone else, when my path is suddenly blocked by a group of fierce looking girls.

"Sooo....you're the one who stole Lord Hakuryuu from us." I sweatdrop at the dark looks on their faces, and slowly back off. "Don't think you'll get away with this," one of them hisses, the suddenly, they all fly at me, waving knives and wicked long nails. I barely keep from screaming in terror as I race back to the safety of Kija's room. I zoom up the tree once again, barely able to keep my hair from being cut off, and am about to jump back into the room, when I realize that Kija is changing his shirt. His back is turned to me, and I can clearly see the horrific scars marring his pale white skin.

My hand goes to my mouth in shock. Those look like... my eyes widen. The claws of a dragon.

Did he...? No, Kija isn't the type to hurt himself. That wound must've been inflicted by the previous dragon.

I'm lost in thought when a dagger suddenly flies by my neck, and I remember that a group of maniacal women are trying to kill me. I leap back into the room, and Kija notices me, hurriedly fastening the clasps on his shirt.

Trembling from fear, I slump against the wall, out of breath. Kija runs over to me. "Akira! What happened?"

I barely manage to speak. "Fangirls...jealous...kill me....aaaaahhhhh....." Kija looks alarmed. "Uh oh. Those girls...I can never get used to them." I turn to him as he sits next to me. "What? You mean this has happened before?" He nods, looking shaken, and clutching his arms around his chest, as if suddenly cold. "A lot of times before I started travelling with the Princess, O bāchan used to keep forcing me into engagements with one village girl or another. This often led to fights between the girls, which led to bloodshed. Sometimes, the more strong minded ones would charge at me, naked in my bedchamber. Ever since, my attitude towards proactive girls has been..." He quivers, as if trying to get rid of bad memories.

I shut my mouth tightly. Yikes, poor White Snake. If Yona hadn't come, he would've been married to one of those monsters. Which would have been torture for him, as he is so...pure.

Another thought comes to mind. I recall the scars on his back. "Hey, Kija...what happened to your back?" He looks over at me, his face somber. "I saw it when I was outside in the tree." His eyes widen. "So...you mean...YOU SAW ME CHANGING?!?!??! GAHHHH!!!" His face is flushed bright red, and he's hiding his eyes in his hands. I sweatdrop. "That's what you're so worried about? What about the wound?"

Kija recovers, but when he looks up, I see a sad, nostalgic smile on his face. "This scar...is very important. It was given to me by my predecessor, the former White Dragon." Ah, so I was right. "Who was the predecessor?"I ask gently. Kija smiles.

"...my father."

20 years ago

"WAAHHHH! WAAAHHHH!" The young silver haired infant cried in his mother's arms, as other guards held back the angry man, who tried to claw at him again.

"NO!! I WILL BE THE ONE WHO SERVES MY MASTER!! NOT HIM!!! I WILL BE THE ONE!!!!" he yelled, blinded by fury. The elder stepped between the two dragons, one newly born, one older, more experienced. "Quickly!! Protect the Lord Hakuryuu!!" The man grew even more infuriated by this remark.

"Lord Hakuryuu? LORD HAKURYUU!??!? I AM THE WHITE DRAGON, I WILL BE THE ONE WHO-" "LORD WHITE DRAGON!!!" the elder yelled at the man, who was then jerked out of his angry frame of mind. He finally seemed to notice that the small baby in front of him, the child with the dragon's claw, the one that he had clawed...

...was his own son.

He fell to his knees.

The baby continued to scream and cry in pain. 

"WAAHHHH!!! WAHHHHH!!!"

5 YEARS LATER

I stared at the man in front of me, with O bāchan standing behind me, along with a company of guards. The man stared down at me dully.

I wasn't allowed to approach his quarters alone, I could not see him unless we were under constant supervision.

I wasn't allowed to touch my own father, no matter how much I wanted to.

I reached out my dragon claw towards his own, wanting to hold it. "Hakuryuu!" O bāchan called sharply behind me. I flinched, withdrawing my hand. "But, I want to-" "Don't." she says once more.

My father stared down at me, expressionless, and then turned and walked away.

I didn't go after him.

I wasn't allowed to.

skip to a not-specified-in-the-wikia time later

I yawned, and woke. The realization was as abrupt as a ripe fruit falling from the tree.

My father will die today.

I rushed to see O bāchan. "Please, I want to see my father!" I pleaded, but she wouldn't budge. "No, you cannot, Lord Hakuryuu." I drew back, shocked.

"The former Lord Hakuryuu's body is in poor condition. Please, wait a little longer."

As I left her presence, I set my jaw, determined.

small timeskip

I stretched my dragon's claw upward, and grabbed at the wall of the tower my father stayed in. I hoisted myself up.

We don't even have to have a conversation...

I continued to scale the wall with renewed strength.

Just one look!

I pulled myself through the window of the small room.

My father lay on the bed, weak and old. He spoke hoarsely.

"Grandma...is that you...?"

I bit my lip. He thought I was O bāchan. I didn't say anything, and quietly listened to him.

"...look...look at this hand of mine...no matter how you look at it now...it is just a normal hand." The fingers of his right hand twitched, gleaming white scales replaced by flesh.

It was done. I had taken all of the White Dragon's power from my father.

I didn't know what to say, so I turned to leave. He spoke up once more.

"Grandma...if it's now...that child..."

I stopped, shocked. My father continued to speak.

"...May I...touch that child now...? Can I be allowed...in my final hour...to touch him once?"

I turned to him, my eyes tearing up.

"Granny...? I'm sorry...I'm troubling you again...No matter how much time passes...I'm still a child. Someone like me...at this point...I can't..."

I burst into tears and leaped onto my father, crying into his chest. His eyes widened beneath his bangs as he realized who I was.

"Ki...ja..."

After saying my name once, my father passed away.

timeskip

Four men held my fathers coffin on their shoulders. It was white, with a dragon carved on the lid.

As everyone watched them walk the coffin to the burial, Granny said behind me, "Hakuryuu-sama, please forgive your father." I shook my head. "No, Granny. My father had nothing to atone for." 

I watched the burial with a sad smile on my face.

Current time

KIJA'S POV

I sigh as I finish the story. "I'm not ashamed of this scar. It was the only contact I ever had with my father, and it shows how much devotion the White Dragon holds for his master."

I stare at the ground, Akira silent next to me.

"Hey, White Snake."

I snap my head towards her in anger. "OI!! I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING-" I stop as I see the sincere expression on her face. "Please, forgive me for everything I've ever thought about you." I smile at that.

"Hey, what did you think about me?"

"Oh look, there's Granny, let's clear up this situation about marriage, hmm?"

She leaps out the window before I can get an answer.

JAE-HA'S POV

I jump high in the sky, looking for the elder. For some reason, the thought of Akira marrying Kija annoys me more than anything.

I finally spot the elder yelling at some housewives about food. I land next to her, and she jumps with a start. "Ah, Ryokuryuu-sama! (Lord Green Dragon) How may I help you?"

"Elder, I must tell you, Akira and Kija are in no sort of romantic relationship at all with each other." She raises her eyebrows questioningly. I quickly explain how Hak had somehow turned from an eighteen-year old to a child, and how we thought that she might be able to help us, which escalated into her trying to get Kija & Akira married.

Her eyes widen. "Ah, that idiot boy can't even get the girls he's travelling with? Oh no."

I must say, I do feel sorry for Kija about that fact.

With a wave of her hand, she summons some servants and mutters some things to them, and they hurry to stop the preparations. Meanwhile, one of them brings the group to us, including Akira and Kija.

She talks with Yun and Yona about how to change Hak back to normal, and then they follow her to her quarters, for her to fix Hak. Akira sits next to me under a fruit tree, looking extremely relieved. I take advantage of this quickly, and say to her triumphantly, "I was the one who told her the truth about everything." Her silver eyes widen. "You didn't say anything stupid like I'm in love with you or anything, did you?" I pout. "I would never do that! Not until you finally realize how dear I am to you and that you want me to be by your side forever." Akira rolls her eyes. "Idiot."

Hey, at least she didn't deny it.

"Aki dear, don't you think I deserve a reward for getting you out of a loveless marriage?" She sighs. "Okay, fine. I guess you earned it. Come closer." I'm surprised, to say the least, but I turn to her. "Close your eyes," she orders. Obediently, I shut my eyes tightly, wondering what will come. Suddenly, I feel someone stroking my hair. I open my eyes to see Akira patting my head softly, giving me a closed eye smile. "Good work, Jae-ha."

My eyes widen as I realize that my train of thought is going on a weird path.

Why do I find disappointment? She's just a child, after all.

She continues to pat my head.

And yet...

I close my eyes again, sitting quietly as she touches my hair.

...I guess I don't mind this kind of reward.

We sit like that for a while.

YONA'S POV

The group watches as Granny hands Hak a small loaf of bread. It's been hours since she started making the cure, and it's turned dark outside. "Here, eat this. It contains a potion that will change you back to your normal self. Hak takes the bread, and is about to stuff it into his mouth, when I realize something. "Hak! Go into another room and do it! Otherwise, your robes will rip when you change back and..." He catches on, but he smirks. "Oh? Would it really be that bad for you, Princess?" I flush and shove his tiny form into another room, and toss him his old clothes.

There's a flash of light and a loud thump, and after a couple minutes, Hak emerges from the room, back to his normal self. We all cheer, even Kija. But Hak's eyes widen as he looks around. "Where's Droopy Eyes and my sister?" I answer calmly. "Oh, they stayed behind, under one of the fruit trees." His eyes darken in anger, and I realize that I really shouldn't have told him that. "Hak, wait-" I can't stop him as he storms off towards the fruit trees.

JAE-HA'S POV

I'm back in that tiny room, with chains around my ankles, and no food to eat at all.

Shunned because of my power.

Just that tiny room, with no hope...

...and the faint smell of cinnamon?

My eyes slowly open, and the first thing I see is a lot of black. I then realize that it's Akira's hair. She's wrapped in my arms, softly asleep.

Ah, we must've fallen asleep sometime ago...

I bury my face in her soft, fragrant hair again, unwilling to get up, just wanting to stay like that forever.

Suddenly, the ground starts shaking, and my eyes dart up to see Hak, back to normal, stomping towards us, a dark aura surrounding him.

I grin lightly as he approaches, the rest of the group behind him. "H-Hak! You're back to normal! That's great!" He looks like he's about to tear my dragon leg off, and yells, "AKIRA!!! GET UP!!!" She groans in her sleep. "Five more minutes..." She clutches my clothing and moves slightly closer.

Uh oh.

I chuckle nervously. "H-haha, Aki, really, wake up, or I'm going to die..."

Her eyes flutter open, and she stands up tiredly. "Hah? You're back to normal, big bro? That's great, can we leave now?" Hak snarls. "Don't give me that! What were you two doing?" She blinks. "Sleeping. Duh." Akira's face suddenly lights up. "Oh! Can we stay here for the night? I'd like a change from sleeping in the dirt." Hak starts sputtering out a stream of insults, directed at me, and warnings about strange men, to Akira. She just turns to Kija. "Can we stay here, do you think?" He nods vigorously. "Yes! Let's stay here! Without any bugs!! For one night!"

Everyone agrees cheerfully, and we start to head towards one of the buildings, me making sure to stay away from both Hak & Akira. Hak so that he doesn't beat me up, Akira so that once again, Hak doesn't beat me up.

Tada! How was it? Introduced some JaeRa in there, hope that was good! Next chapter, we'll go back to the main story!


	20. The Telepathic Twosome, With A Side of Murderous Intent

This takes place about a day or two after Akira received her powers.

Quick Recap:

Ik-su saw that Akira was the Chosen One of the Winter Dragon, and tells her about the three other Chosen, and how they will seek them out. Akira receives her powers from Yuki, the human form of the Winter Dragon, and gets a large, silver dragon wrapped around her right arm, like a tattoo. Akira receiving her powers caused Kai, the Chosen One of the Summer Dragon, to be contacted by the Summer Dragon, and receive his powers, along with two others, who are currently unknown.

Akira is now trying to find out more about her powers...

WARNING: contains a bit of Hak x Yona (Hona? Yonak? Yak? XD yaks)

AKIRA'S POV

I roll back my shoulders, crack my knuckles, and draw my fist back. I aim for the center of the trunk of the iron wood tree, and my fist flies into the wood.

"HAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

WHAM!!

The force of the attack sends spidery cracks along the bark, splintering the entire tree into a pile of firewood.

I used to punch iron woods to harden my hands, and to train myself to feel nothing. Now, iron woods are useless for this purpose.

As the result of some tests after I received my powers (these tests involved 22 bricks, several nearby boulders, and an arm-wrestling competition between me and everyone else, except for Yona, Yun, Ik-su, and Zeno) I realized that my entire body's strength had been multiplied by at least one hundred, and that both my arms and legs were way stronger than Jae-ha's leg & Kija's arm. Kija seemed way more hurt by this than Jae-ha. Although I can't jump really high like Jae-ha, or enlarge my arm like Kija, I'm still a lot stronger than I was, and I've gotten better reflexes, concentration, and the blue highlights in my hair aren't too bad either.

Hak, Kija, and Jae-ha agreed to train me on how to focus the raw power I've been given, and how to concentrate it into skillful fighting technique. Since I'm not used to this much strength, I sometimes use too much when handling other objects. For example, Yun asked me to hand him one of the knives he needed. I squeezed the handle too hard, and turned it into a pile of black & silver dust.

I was almost deprived of my dinner.

I was sent out to collect firewood, but as part of my training, I couldn't use an ax, or any type of cutting tool. So here I am, punching trees.

"Akira?" a small, timid voice sounds out behind me. turn to see Yona, with her arms behind her back and a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "Hmm? What's up, Princess?" She fidgets slightly. "C-can I talk to you about something?" I nod, and sit down on a fallen log, patting the area next to me. "What is it?" Yona flushes. "W-well, you see, you might already know..."

"About the giganticus crush you have on my older brother, and how you're too scared to tell him how you feel because you're afraid he'll laugh, but at the same time you really want to tell him because for some reason, you feel your heart squeeze every time you see him talking to some other girl? Yeah, I already know about that." She stares at me, dumbfounded. "How did you know that much?" I shrug. "You're really easy to read, Yona. You might wanna change that in the near future."

She nods. "Anyway, that's basically my problem. Can you help me out?" I sigh, and ruffle my hair. "Girl talk is something that I've avoided for my entire life, but since you clearly need my help, I'll do it just this once." She grins widely, and I continue speaking.

"You don't want him to tease you, yes?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why do you think he'll tease you?"

She starts slightly. "W-well, he's always making fun of me now, so what if it gets worse if I tell him?" I shake my head. "He's just being a tsundere, Yona, it shows how much he loves you. And, hasn't he ever done something that made you flush, or anything like that?"

Yona starts blushing like crazy, and I shake my head. "So he has done something. What was it? Did he pin you against a wall or something?" She shakes her head rapidly. "N-no...! It-it was really more of a cliff..." I sweatdrop. "Seriously? I was only joking," I mumble.

Yona snaps out of her phase. "He-he was only doing that stuff to play around! What if I tell him, and he just laughs it off or flat-out rejects me?!!?! I'll never be able to speak to him again!!!" I groan, starting to get annoyed. "Yona, you could make a rock fall in love with you if you smile at it the right way, and they don't even have brains. And as shocking as it may seem, my older brother does have a brain, so he's probably been head over heels for you since the first time you called him an idiot."

Yona looks up, her face hopeful. "You really think so?" I nod. I want her and my brother to be happy, but I can't confess for him, he needs to be the one to tell her everything. I can't make Yona confess to him either. However, I can give them a little nudge in the right direction.

"Don't confess to him too soon. You need to make him realize exactly how much you mean to him. Don't try to make him jealous, he'll only convince himself that the reason he's being so overprotective is because it's his job. Don't try flirting either, you will most likely crash and burn." Yona pouts at this, but I continue. "Try paying attention to the small things. Walk next to him, be concerned for him, that sort of stuff. Kill him with kawaii-ness." I suddenly get an idea. "You start today. Here's what you do..."

I whisper my plan to her quietly. At first, Yona turns a bit pink, but she slaps her face in resolve. "Okay, I'll do it!" I nod approvingly. "If that's all, I have to pick up this wood." I turn to the pile of splintery chunks of tree, and Yona pipes up. "I'll help!" I shove her away. "No. You will get splinters and stuff in your palms. You are losing you femininity, Yona. Keep this up, and even Kija won't be able to say you're pretty." Her jaw drops, and she runs away, crying. "YOU'RE EXACTLY LIKE HAK, AKI-CHAN!! YOU'RE SO MEAN!!!!"

I roll my eyes, and bundle the wood in my arms, heading back to camp.

HAK'S POV

timeskip to nighttimeish

I watch bored as Akira carves a rough wooden flute out of a branch. She couldn't dance to save the world, she can't sew, or use makeup, and she fails at nearly every instrument she plays. She can play the flute however, so for once, I don't snatch the instrument out of her hands for fear of turning deaf.

She also used to sing, but that was a long time ago.

She tests out the flute, and a pure note sounds out. Akira looks satisfied, but instead of continuing to play, she starts talking. "So, who's taking watch for tonight?"

I stare, confused. "I am. I always do." She shakes her head at me, and suddenly, Princess speaks up. "Hak, you always take watch, and you usually never switch with anyone. You're going to collapse from exhaustion." I turn towards her, slightly surprised.

What's this? Princess is worried?

Yona keeps talking. "You should let Kija take over for today. You need sleep." I deadpan. "White Snake will sound the alarm if a bug comes within a ten-mile radius of the camp. I'm telling you, don't worry about it." Princess looks at me. "Are you sure?" I nod. She sighs, and a hint of pink tinges her face, but she stands up, walks over, and-

What.

She skips towards her tent. "Good night!" she calls out.

My eyes are wide. "What-what just happened?" Akira doesn't look up from her flute. "Yona kissed you on the cheek goodnight. I guess your feelings aren't one sided."

"What is this? What is this? Pukkyuu? Yip? PUKKYUU?!?!?!"

Akira calmly states, "Relax, big bro. You aren't a tiny animal. Calm down. It was just a kiss on the cheek. From your lifelong crush. The person who means the world to you, who - "

"YOU AREN'T HELPING!!!"

My face is the color of the Princess's hair, and I hurry to cover my face with my hands. My little sister laughs softly. "You're lucky Droopy Eyes went off with Shin-ah to look for a nearby town. He would never let you forget this." I immediately turn to her. "You won't tell him, will you?" She shakes her head innocently. "I wouldn't dream of it. Your secret is safe with me."

I stare at her, unconvinced, but she just goes back to etching intricate patterns in the flute.

I grit my teeth and bury my face in my hands.

Princess, why are you doing this...?!

AKIRA'S POV

timeskip of a few hours

Everyone else fell asleep a while ago, even older brother. Then again, he was probably eager to relive Yona kissing him on the cheek in his dreams.

I throw my dagger at the ground, burying it to the hilt in the dirt. I hold my flute up to the moonlight. 

Even with the simplicity of it, it took hours to make, especially when I started carving the design in.

As I turn the flute in my palms, I notice the dragon on my arm, shimmering brightly in the moonlight. It appears to shine more at night, even with a cloudy sky.

I sigh. I have to ask Yun to mend my sleeve. It was ripped off when I got my powers, and he fixed it for me then, but it keeps tearing during training.

I stare up at the moon. I close my eyes, trying to reach someone that I've avoided thinking of until now.

Kai...? Are you going to find me? Have you gotten your powers? Have the Griffin & Phoenix found you yet?

Will you kill me if you found me?

Or will the Summer Dragon inside you forgive the Winter Dragon inside me?

I want you to find me, but at the same time, I don't.

My eyes still shut, I raise the flute to my lips. Unable to think of anything to play, I open my bag and toss it inside.

I hold my arm in front of me.

The silver dragon winks at me in the darkness. "Can you let me see him, please? Just so I can see what he's doing," I ask halfheartedly, expecting no answer.

Instead, the dragon glows even brighter, and I black out.

KAI'S POV

I stare at the gold dragon on my arm, it's former brightness gone in the cool night air.

I recall what he said to me, what he said my duty was.

You must find her...you must find her, and avenge me...

But who? Who do I have to find?

You already know the answer to that.

I groan and massage my temples, trying to erase the pain and reluctance from my mind.

Of course I know the answer. Somewhere in the back of my messed up head, everything clicks, and I realize that I have to go searching for Akira.

The Summer Dragon wants me to avenge him. My guess, he wants me to kill her, the girl I've liked for five years unknowingly.

Okay. I can do that. I'm mad enough to do that. Sure. Whatever you say, Sunny Lizard.

Kill. Death.

They are such common words, used carelessly everyday, in a child's threats, in a heated conversation. No one seems to truly understand the meaning of them until it happens to them.

If you kill someone, they'll die. If someone dies, you can never see them again.

I fully understand those words. I'm still going to kill her. What is she worth to me now? Nothing. What am I worth to her? Nothing.

"Kai, you need to sleep. If you don't, you are going to die," Kasumi calls from her tent. I turn to her, eyes dull and emotionless. "Sure I will. Okay, I'll die from lack of sleep. Whatever."

She gives me an irritated look, and walks over, sitting next to me. "Ugh, go away, Kasumi. I'm really not in the mood for a lecture." She smiles brightly. "Okay, then I won't lecture you. Let's talk about something else! Like your cool looking hair!" Kasumi reaches up to ruffle my gold streaked hair, but I smack her hand away. "Seriously, go away. I don't care about my hair, and I don't feel like having a conversation, least of all with you. Go fawn over Yamato or something, just don't bother me and leave me alone."

I walk off, ignoring her dumbfounded, hurt expression.

Timeskip to a bit later

Once I'm a good six hundred yards from the camp, I plunk under a tree. Leaning back, I stare angrily at the moon. The wind rustles the trees, whispering softly.

'Hello...little prince....what are you doing out here...?'

I sit up, realizing that the winds are actually whispering. "Um...hello...?"

'Little prince...are you lost? ...the palace is that way...'

What? This voice sounds vaguely familiar...

'Realized it yet? You always were pretty slow.'

"Seriously? We haven't talked in forever, and that's the first thing you say? Yeesh, heartless as ever," I grumble, listening to Akira's cool tone.

'I expected you to be more surprised. After all, the WIND of all things is speaking to you. These powers are pretty neat.'

"Powers...of the Winter Dragon, I'm assuming? So it is you. Where's your face? I'm in no mood to see it or anything, but..."

'One word: TSUNDERE. Here's a few more, because I like annoying you by speech: Yeah, Yuki paid me a visit. It's thanks to me that you have stylish highlights in your hair, and a sweet tattoo. You're welcome.'

"I can't see you, but you can see me? How does that work?"

'Correction: I can KINDA see you. It's hazy, and concentrating hurts in more ways than one. My brain, because it is really draining, and my eyes, because it's you.'

"This conversation is getting us nowhere," I snarl, angered that she doesn't get it. 

'On the contrary, it's getting us EVERYWHERE. It shows me how different you are, and it hows you how superior I am.'

"You understand, what I have to do, don't you? I have to KILL you, and to be honest, I don't have any objections to it."

'Mmm, you COULD kill me. Or you could let the Winter Dragon explain this whole misunderstanding to her idiotic lover.'

"ARE YOU CALLING ME AN IDIOT?!?"

'When have I ever NOT called you an idiot?'

"Okay, good point," I concede, the fight going out of me. I slump back against the tree, suddenly tired and unwilling to speak.

'How's Ichiro? And Kasumi? And Yamato? I'm mostly interested in the last one.'

"Are you TRYING to piss me off?"

'So you DO love me. I owe Eclipse twenty mice, dang it.'

I freeze. "What are you talking about? I don't love you, I barely even tolerate you. And since when did you gamble?"

'Hanging around you has given me so many interesting bets to take. But quit changing the subject. Yes, you do love me, but you hate that you do.'

"No, that isn't true."

'YOU HATE ME, YOU LOVE ME, YOU HATE THAT YOU LOVE ME-'

"SHUT UP!!" I yell, punching the tree, causing it to crack and fall over with a large CRASH. Akira is silent for a sec, and then she asks softly,

'DO you love me? Honest answer, please.'

I grimace, then counter. "Do YOU love ME?"

'Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know. It's complicated. I want you to find me, but at the same time, I don't, because I'm torn. When I threatened you back at the village, my heart ached, and I don't know why, but at the same time I do, I just can't say. It's easy to lie to people, to say 'I love you' blindly and not mean it. With you, it's harder. So I THINK I love you, but I just don't know.'

"H-How are you saying all of this so easily?" I ask incredulously. Does she love me or not? Should I be excited, sad, or confused?

'It's a tad easier when you aren't face to face.'

She goes silent for a sec, then attempts to lighten the mood.

'If you DO love me, you might want to hurry and find me, 'cause I have two - maybe three - guys vying for my affections at the moment, and one of them is a twenty-five year old, droopy-eyed perv.'

"W-what?!? Do you love any of them? Speak plainly, please."

'I MIGHT love one of them. I might. It's hard to say, because I've never loved anyone before, and I've never seen what love looks like. My early childhood...you could say that it was pretty chaotic.'

"Uh-huh...okay," I plop down against the tree stump I created, and scratch my cheek awkwardly. "Soooo....now what?"

'Hmm, not sure. Ren is still with me, and he still hates you. He ships me with someone else, I'm pretty sure. Eclipse still ships us, and I don't know what to say about that exactly.'

She laughs, an uncommon sound that happens once in a blue moon, and for a moment, I feel at ease, something I last felt the morning of Kasumi's birthday,

'I have to go now, or I won't be able to sleep. Tell the others I say hi, please?'

"Ah - wait, don't leave yet!"

'Okay, fine. One more thing, then I REALLY have to leave.'

I take a deep breath, steadying myself, and speak quietly.

"I love you, Akira."

The wind goes silent, and nervousness builds up inside of me.

After what seems like an eternity, she finally speaks.

'...Goodbye, Kai.'

The wind dies completely, and I slump down, to the ground, and my eyes close, blocking the tears from falling.


	21. A Convenient Fear of Flying

AKIRA'S POV

I sit staring at the ground as everyone else devours the breakfast mother has made for us. I finished mine a while ago, and I'm deep in thought about the conversation I had with Kai less than 12 hours ago.

I love you, Akira.

I bury my face in my hands. UGH! This is all getting too complicated! I need to go someplace to clear my mind. Somewhere away from all of this mess.

I take a deep breath, sit up straight, and say out of nowhere, "I'm going to visit Kuuto." (Kouka's capital city)

Hak doubles over and chokes on his chicken and rice, hacking and coughing. I pound him on the back until he recovers, and he glares at me. "What makes you think I'm letting you go there?! Are you insane?!?!?!"

"Yes, and thank goodness I am, because if I wasn't, what I'm going to do would never work."

"What are you going to do?"

"Sneak into the palace library and see if I can find some info on all this dragon business."

Yona runs up to me fearfully. "Aki, you can't go there! It's dangerous, I don't want to lose you!!" I turn towards her and pat her on the head, smiling. "Yona, I'll stay low, don't worry. No one is going to know it's me. I'll be in and out."

She scrambles for another reason not to let me go. "But from where we are it will take a long time to reach Kuuto!" I sigh, knowing that I'm going to regret what I am about to say. "It won't take too long, I have a solution."

I turn towards the green haired man. "Jae-ha, can you get me to Kuuto quickly with your dragon leg?" He looks at me in surprise, but his trademark grin spreads over his face. "I can have you there in a day. For a price." I sigh. "Name the price."

"A kiss."

Everyone immediately jumps up and shouts their concerns, Hak and Shin-ah being the loudest, but I step closer, lean in, and...

...stick my knife at his throat.

"OR, you take me there, and I don't kill you. That should be reward enough." Jae-ha audibly gulps and nods, sweat dripping from his forehead.

I turn away. "Good. Let's go right now then, I'll take Eclipse with me, but Ren stays here. I don't think I have to bring anything else-"

"ARE YOU CRAZY!! OF COURSE YOU NEED MORE STUFF!! HERE, TAKE THESE RICE BALLS, AND THIS COAT, AND MORE RICE BALLS..." Yun yells at me angrily, throwing the named supplies in my face.

"...mother..."

"TAKE IT ALL, YOU THIEF!!!!"

"YUN!!! SHUT UP, I WILL BE FINE, DEAR GOD!!!!"

He stops and flushes slightly, everyone staring at him. "I-I can't help it if you go looking for trouble everywhere you go!" I shake my head at him. "Who says trouble doesn't go looking for me?" Suddenly, I lightly peck his cheek. "Relax, I'll be back before you can say Hiryuu."

I turn towards Jae-ha, who grumbles, "Oh, him you want to kiss." Before I can say anything, he scoops me up bridal style and salutes to the others. "BYE!" He jumps into the sky without warning, and soon, we disappear into the clouds, Eclipse flying next to us.

SHIN-AH'S POV

As I watch her go off with Ryokuryuu (Green Dragon), I whisper sadly to myself,

"...Hiryuu..."

JAE-HA'S POV

I chuckle at the startled look on Akira's face as she clings to my neck, frightened by the height we've reached. "On second thought, I probably should've walked..."

I smile. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights, Aki dear." For a second, I swear I see a faint pink on her face. "Shut up! No one normal has ever flown! And in the arms of a pervert no less, how am I supposed to feel?!"

"Did you just imply that you are normal?"

"...touché."

I laugh loudly as she grumbles. Then, I make a serious expression. "As for how you are supposed to feel, I would say..." I lean my face in closer to hers. "...flustered?"

Akira flushes and mumbles something inaudible. "What was that?" I ask, amused. "Shut up," she mutters, pressing her face against my chest, her arms tightening around my shoulders.

I smile and rest my chin on her head, looking for a place to land so I can make another jump.

Hi guys! I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, but I need to regain my touch for writing, having lost it in school. No worries, the next one will be longer, I swear.

MINI STORY TIME

\- For the rest of the time that Akira and Jae-ha were gone, Shin-ah would randomly mutter, "Hiryuu" under his breath and look up hopefully at the skies, only to see nothing and sadly sit in his emo corner, alongside a certain blonde host...

\- Hak was trying to follow Akira to make sure Jae-ha was in line, but eventually quit after Jae-ha flew over a cliff that overlooked a valley. He is currently punching trees, wanting to "hit something with a green head."


	22. Please, Let My Boredom End...Wait, Not Like That!

AKIRA'S POV

We reach Kuuto in a few hours time, including breaks for food and rest. Jaeha drops me off on the outskirts of the city, where Eclipse joins us.

"You sure you'll be fine on your own?" He asks me worriedly, to which I just sigh in exasperation. "For the tenth time, Jaeha, I will be okay. Eclipse will be flying above to check for danger, and I'm going to keep a low profile." The doubtful look on the green dragon warrior's face doesn't erase itself, so I muster up what I hope looks like a soothing smile. "Relax, it's not as if I'm going to shout from the rooftops, 'HELLO!! HERE I AM, ABOUT TO BREAK INTO YOUR PRECIOUS CASTLE!! SUCKS FOR YOU, HAHAHA!!!'"

Jaeha's mouth turns up at the corners and he finally stops fussing. Almost. "So you will send Eclipse when you want me to pick you up?" I groan, reaching the end of the proverbial rope. "Yes father, I will also make sure that I don't get a HRUI (horseback riding under the influence) or a CUI (charioteering under the influence), I won't break my 11 o' clock curfew, and I won't go into any inns or taverns on my own. GO!! SHOO, VAMOOSE!!! LEAVE BEFORE I ENSURE THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SMILE AGAIN DUE TO HORRIFIC MEMORIES CRUSHING YOUR HEART AND YOUR MIND."

Jaeha laughs, waves, and jumps into the sky. I watch him go, then send Eclipse into the air and pull my hood over my head. I tug my sleeve down to cover the dragon on my arm, my blue streaked hair has been pulled back into my hood, and my Hsu Quandao is wrapped in cloth to hide the sharp edge. I'll need intel if I want to get into the castle.

"Time to visit Mr. Ogi."

???'s POV (the phoenix guy)

I've been walking for days and it doesn't seem like that gold light is getting any closer!! I'M. SO. BORED.

I yawn as I trudge through the forest, ruffling my blonde hair, making it look interestingly windswept and even better than usual, which is hard to achieve.

So far, I've only met a few travelers on the road, most of them old men & merchants, but I haven't encountered that strange light. I think that it's getting closer, but I can't tell. Okay, one more day, and if I don't find anyone, I'm going back home!

I sit down for a second and lean against a medium sized boulder that's set against a wall of vegetation. However, as I push it slightly to confirm whether it's stable or not, the rock gives way and I fall forward into what looks like a camp.

A tall black haired guy leaps up from where he is sitting under a tree and and sticks a sword to my throat, a young girl with brown hair standing behind him. "Who are you, and why are you here?!?" the man asks, while the girl simply looks at me in confusion. "Why is your hair two colors? Is this a thing now? I should dye my hair too..."

I stare up at the two of them for five seconds before slowly standing up, making sure not to alarm them with any sudden movements. "You know, there is actually a really strange explanation for that! And since I don't think you'd believe me, I'm just gonna go over there...and ponder on my life choices..."

Just as I was about to run to my home and pretend this never happened, someone calls out from one of the tents. "Yamato, who's out there? Can you actually do your job and keep people away? For once, you could be useful."

I turn to see a guy about my age walking out of the tent, a sour expression on his face. As soon as my eyes meet his, our eyes both widen and I double over in sudden pain.

You are the chosen one.

Who is speaking?!

You must guide the Summer Dragon, and never betray him.

My blood feels like it's flowing backwards!

Find the Winter Dragon, help restore balance...

"Ugh...!" I collapse on the ground, as the pain slowly ebbs away. The voice echoes in my head, and my back starts to burn along the lines of the phoenix. The girl hurries over and puts her hand on my forehead as I struggle to sit up. "Oh my gods, you have a fever! What just happened? Kai, stop gaping like a child at a menagerie and help!" (For those of you who don't know, a menagerie is like a zoo)

The guy from the tent, who I'm assuming is Kai, stares at me, and says one word; "Phoenix." The black haired man turns to him. "What are you saying? I know you haven't gone out much in your life, but this is clearly a guy, not a bird. Those gold highlights must be seeping into your brain."

After throwing the man a freezing glare, Kai looks back to me. "I'm right aren't I? You're the Autumn Phoenix."

I'm thrown back into when the tattoo that appeared on my back, and the red haired man spoke to me, calling himself the phoenix. Is that what this means? I have to help this guy?

I stay on guard. "What makes you think I'm a phoenix? I'm an extremely good looking guy, just a normal traveler." He crosses his arms. "I doubt normal people have red highlights in their hair. I looked at you, and I saw a phoenix, surrounded by swirling, burning leaves. You looked at me, and your eyes flashed red. COINCIDENCES ARE A LIE." He shifts his sleeve up, letting me see the golden dragon curling around his skin. I stiffen, reminded of the ruby creature on my back.

I stare at him, neither of us faltering, until I sigh in defeat. "Look, I don't know much. One second I was reading a book in my house, the next I was in this forest of orange and red trees, with some red haired guy (Unrelated to AkaNoYona's Crimson dragon) who told me to find the Summer Dragon and mend the relationship between him and the Winter Dragon. When I woke up, this tattoo had appeared on my back." I turn around and lift my shirt up for a few seconds. 

I turn back towards the others who stare at me in awe, except for dragon man. "Then I saw this gold light, which I followed, leading me to you. That's my story, and I'mgonnagonowbye."

I say the last part quickly and rabbit off into the woods, running for maybe ten seconds before a dagger whistles past my ear, stopping me in my tracks. "I wouldn't move if I were you," a cool, slightly younger voice says from above. I look up to see a young man perched in the trees, a knife in his hand and a bow slung over his back. "I was watching the whole time, and I decided that we might need your help. So, you're joining us. You're welcome."

I glare at him. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in getting caught in an otherworldly lovers' quarrel that could potentially destroy the Earth. I offer my condolences, and sincerely hope you can solve your problems with a few roses and a lovely haiku. Good day." I turn away from him, only to find myself face to face with dragon man once more. "Look, this is a very big problem. It could bring peace to many if we succeed, and pain to EVERYONE if we fail. So you can join us and be remembered as a hero, or you can go sit in your house as the world falls apart."

I stare at dragon man, and register the pain and anger in his eyes. He hates his fate as much as I hate mine, but he still wants to succeed. I sigh. "I'm too soft. Fine. I'll help. Don't expect me to be smiling anytime soon."

He nods. "Good. For starters, we need your name. That way I know who to curse if we fail." I roll my eyes, but answer nonetheless.

"Soron."

A haiku? I can think of one.

I hate my laifu.

Somehow I am a phoenix.

Reread the first line.

1\. Jaeha was actually tempted to double back and check on Akira, but the second he turned his head around, she shot an arrow straight at his face, scaring him off.

2\. When Jaeha got back to the camp, Shin-ah walked up to him and looked around, thinking "Where is she?" Jaeha just said nervously that she had stayed in the capital for her mission. Shin-ah walked away sadly, but Ao cracked his little squirrel knuckles and jumped on the green dragon. A while later, Hak found Jaeha curled up on the ground far from camp. When he asked what happened, all Jaeha said was, "...I'm a damaged little boy..."

3\. When Soron joined the others, he immediately read the atmosphere and found that:

a) Kai had been upset for sometime

b) Kasumi was equally upset with Kai

c) Kasumi had moved on to Yamato

Soron was able to get along with Yamato a little, revealing that he used a long sword if he ever had to fight (Soron is 5 feet 10 inches, the sword being the same height, blade included)


	23. Nothing Like A Good Old Nostalgic Encounter to Get The Blood Flowing

AKIRA'S POV

I keep my head down as I walk through the crowded streets of Kuuto, searching for a secret alley way known to few.

As I search the city, I notice a tall, cloaked figure walking in the same direction as I am, right in front of me. Who is this guy? I can't risk trying to talk to him, that's just plain stupid. I look towards the rooftops, a hint of a smile on my face.

I know I promised I wouldn't attract attention, so walking on the buildings, where no one will be, is okay, right?

My eyes dart around, checking for anyone, and I creep into the small space between two buildings. I pull myself up to the roof and crouch low, making sure no one can see me. Suppressing my presence is a simple matter, and I melt into the shadows of the rooftops as I hurry to Ogi's place.

***

I land in front of the entrance to Mr. Ogi's hangout, far ahead of that cloaked man. I walk into the place with my head held high, but my hood staying up.

The smell of alcohols and drugs linger in the air, and I see several arm wrestling competitions, shogi matches, and drinking contests. I see mostly scruffy looking men, a few women, but I keep my eye out for a long haired, pipe-smoking, bad tempered old man. Also known as Mr. Ogi.

I finally spot him at a table on the far side of the place, clearly losing at a game of shogi. Just as I am about to walk over to him, however, a pair of arms wraps around my waist, and someone rests their chin on my shoulder.

"Hey there pretty lady," the drunken man slurs. "What are you doing in a place like this? I could protect you if you want. We'll take it slow."

I stay silent. Then I ask him, "Do you enjoy being a man?" He blinks, confused, and then nods.

"Well in that case..." I turn my head towards him slightly, my eyes covered by my hair.

"You shouldn't touch me so carelessly, lest you wish to become a eunuch."

My eyes burn as I say this, my face twisted into a scary grin. The man starts, and backs away, crashing into a table where two others are having a drinking contest. As they beat him up, I stalk towards Mr. Ogi's table, the two men sitting there barely glancing at me.

"Hey old man. Anything exciting happen in town while I was gone?" Ogi grumbles at me. "Shuddap, you little brat. I'm trying to win this game. Besides, I require payment for my services."

I smirk slightly. "Payment huh? Well let me see..." I stand in front of the shogi board, examine the game, and pick up one of the pieces. "If I move this piece here..." I set the piece down on a certain square, winning the game for Ogi in one move.

"Huh? WAHA, I WON!!! HAH!!" Ogi proclaims, one foot on his chair, the other on the table. The other man looks at me in disbelief and lays his head on the table with a sigh. I simply tip his chair over and he tumbles onto the floor, letting me sit in front of Mr. Ogi.

"So? How've ya been, old timer?" I ask with a smirk, my head in my hand, my elbow resting on the table. "I'm not that old!" He spits indignantly, almost like a child. Then he sighs, glancing at me. "Look, Kira, I'd be glad to chat with you after all these years, especially after you won me that game. Unfortunately for you though, I'm expecting someone right now."

I raise my eyebrows. "Really? Who-" I'm cut off by the front door opening, and all the men call out to the person who enters. "Won, good to see you!"

Won?

I turn towards the entrance, where 'Won' has just pulled off his hood. We both freeze at the same time, staring at each other in disbelief. At the same time, we both say,

"You?"


End file.
